The Twilight Zone: The Might Casey

Work Title: The Twilight Zone: The Might Casey
Medium: TV Episode
Episode Title: The Might Casey
Year: 1960
Writer(s): Rod Serling
"Original" Writer: Yes Own work?: No
Summary:

from imdb.com Hapless Hoboken baseball team hopes to turn fortunes around by employing unbeatable robot as star pitcher. In the process, however, they get a surprise.

  • Self-Written?:
  • Source Name: IMDB
  • Source URL:
Era/Year of Portrayal: near_past
Distinctive characteristics of the world in portrayal:

In the opening, Rod Serling says this takes place in the near past from 1960 and it does seem this way (Joe Dimaggio plays for the Yankees). However, robots do exist and look very human.

Technology

  • Name of portrayed presence-evoking technology: Casey
  • Description of the technology: Casey is a pitcher robot. He appears as a white man in his 20s. No one would suspect he is not human from his appearece, but he has no pulse or heartbeat. Of course, he is an amazing pitcher. People interact with him as if he is a human; most do not know he is not unless told. He acts submissive, docile, unwitting and naive. Then, he is given a heart and his playing abilty decreases. He is too nice to hurt players feelings by striking them out. Too compassionate and has no competitive drive.
  • Nature of task or activity: Playing and watching baseball, interacting as if he was human, a doctors examination.
  • Performance of the Technology: functions very well, until given a heart, then too compassionate to stirke people out.
  • Description of creator(s): Dr. Stillman. A doctor/scientist in his 40s or 50s, white.
  • Major goal(s) of creator(s): to make money.
  • Description of users of technology: Men, baseball players and coaches, white.
  • Type(s) of presence experience in the portrayal: social_presence
  • Description of presence experience: The presence experience is fine. At first, Casey dominates the sport of baseball, pitching no-hitters. Later, he loses his abilty. It is like interacting with a human.
  • User awareness of technology during experience: at first, no. Then everyone is told.
  • Valence of experience: pleasent.
  • Specific responses: intense parasocial relationships, joy at winning.
Long-term consequences:

Happy. Casey becomes a social worker and the manager teams up with Dr. Stillman to make more pitcher robots.

Other:

Coder name: Amanda Scheiner
Coder email: amandags@temple.edu
Coder affiliation: Temple University