Poll: Interspecies Relationships: Wrong?

[xPixelatedx]

Recently I have seen some discussions graze over this topic, since this is relevant to two big games coming out. First I want to state that I have no problem with homosexuality. It may not be my thing, but what two consenting adult humans do is none of my business, and all the more power to them for doing what they want. However it seems lately you can remove the human part of that equation in a few games, and I find myself confused as to what I should think. Like people mentioned in some Mass Effect discussions, it would be odd - even unsettling - to see Shepard getting flirty with a Krogan. This is weird when I think about it, because I had no problem seeing Shepard initiate relations with an Asair anymore then I had a problem with the relationships in Startrek. It seems like that's what I should think, but isn't that a bit hypocritical? Is it only morally ok for us to have relations with things that look identical to us? I don't know how many other people have thought this topic through, but that seems to be the general consensus I picked up on. Somehow that does not seem right, since it's such a superficial outlook. Skyrim is going to have marriage, and we know that game is going to have quite a variety of species. The idea of something like a Human and an Argonian living together and holding hands also doesn't seem very ...right. The game may not show them kissing or anything, but it's the idea itself that's jarring.

I know these are just silly video games, but this is confronting issues I thought we'd never have to think about. What if this kind of thing bled over into cinema? What would people think if another District 9 movie had a Prawn/Human couple making out on a park bench? Is this right, is it wrong? Where are the limits to this, and should there be any?

Clarification: This is not about people having relationships with animals, it's about aliens and other creatures who have the same level of intelligence as us, who just happen to not be human at all.

 

[New Troll]

This debate has been going since the original Star Trek. In my opinion, looks should not matter when it comes to love (or lust in some people/ alien's cases.)

 

[Cridhe]

There's no "if she's hot" option to vote on?

Prawns... not attractive at all. I'd however throw caution to the wind with Tali, she can leave her mask on that's cool.

I don't necessarily believe in the whole concept of "love" myself nor do I believe humans were meant to be monogamous for purposes other than idealism and population control. So to my original point... "Is she hot?"

 

[Fawcks]

Damn, I missed the "Hell yeah I would" option.

 

[Sam Warrior]

Look at it this way, if people fall in love with animals who arent capable of higher intelegence then someone somewhere will fall in love with just about any species. Personally I would draw the line at animals, interspecies relationships with something which dosent comprehend love is just weird.

 

[emeraldrafael]

Weird, I was just reading the why it would suck to be immortal on cracked and they addressed the same thing.

personally... I find it odd to have sex with something non human, or at elast not anthromorphically human like. I can kinda see the logic in a furry or those human like aliens in games like ME or the like. But I odnt think I'd really ever tell someone to stop just because they like it. Now as long as they didnt try to include me or someone close to me in on it that said second party doesnt volunteer for, then go nuts.

 

[UltraDeth]

Only if I could impregnate another species, and only during a potential extinction point.

 

[Dusty Fred]

How can something grant you consent if it only communicates in chirps/barks/grunts/etc?

 

[FallenRainbows]

Assuming both are sentient and willing and it carries no health concern for children or either party why on earth not? Wha'ever floats your boat.

 

[DonMartin]

That's a very interesting thought, to be sure. What if we eventually find humanoid life in space (what if, people, what if.) and some people feel an attraction to an individual of the other species? Does the other species have sexes? Do they even have sex? Would the relationshop be simply platonic? What about offspring?

Very interesting indeed.


...but it's not likely that Im going to go to sleep thinking about it.

 

[Zhukov]

(Nerdiest. Thread. Ever.)

Uh... I guess if it's intelligent then it's fair game.

Although I would personally have absolutely no interest in boning a non-human-ish alien. Like, I dunno, a Hanar or something. Ew.

 

[gazumped]

How can something grant you consent if it only communicates in chirps/barks/grunts/etc?

Yeah, I guess the difference between having sex with an Asari or a dog is that the dog can't consent and probably doesn't even understand why you're doing that to it. Sex with races that you can communicate fully with and who are on the same general level of intelligence with you there should be no problem with, as you'd then be two consenting adults.

EDIT: And that's whether they look human or not, when it comes to love especially, it seems only shallow to suggest that a couple should only be intimate if one is not the other race's idea of physically ideal.

 

[Eventidal]

I'm open to the idea, but in our own world, at this moment, no.

The major factor is communication. If both parties are fully capable of communicating with each other and it's a completely mutual, consensual thing, then I have no problem with the relationship. Whether it's aliens or animals or what have you, if both parties are not capable of holding conversations with each other, they do not belong together. If they are, and they are both mature enough (physically and mentally) then there's no issue there. It may not be NATURAL, but the whole "unnatural" argument is highly flawed. What a man and a man, or a woman and a woman, or a man and a dog, or a gorilla and a horse do behind closed doors is none of my business.

The reason that I'm realistically completely against interspecies relationships is pretty simple, then. We humans can't communicate with animals to much of an extent, and unless that happens, it's against our moral code to pursue relationships with those animals.

 

[Fawcks]

lol no one's talking about bestiality in this thread kids, learn to read the OP.

 

[Rawne1980]

With regards to games then I don't see any problem with a human character getting his/her love spoon on with another "intelligent" species.

As long as it's consenting.

I draw the line at it being "right" to fuck animals though.

Although I have seen some beastiality and found it to be one of the most hilarious things i've ever watched. If I came home and found my wife or a friend dancing the funky mambo with my dog i'd be slightly disturbed ..... and the cuddly toys he likes to hump would probably be jealous.

 

[Dexiro]

There's nothing wrong with it, we're just not currently in a situation in which they're possible.

Hell you can have sex with other species all you want as long as they consent. Consent is the big word here. But good luck finding another species on our planet with the same mental capacity as a human adult that can consent in a reasonable manner.

I mention interspecies sex only as one of the extremes but relationships involving love and the potential to get married work essentially work on the same principals. You're gonna need proper consent.

 

[Togs]

Basically would I enter into an intimate relationship with a humanoid alien?
It depends, and using the ME analogy- is it an Asari? definately, is it a krogan or turian? hell no.

 

[OmniscientOstrich]

If it's wrong, then I don't wanna be right damnit! Really though with Mass Effect, I think it's pretty easy to kind of distance yourself from it a bit and not worry about...the mechanics, shall we say. But let's assume for this scenario, like in Mass Effect, you have a translator that allows you to communicate with them in your own language and national dialect. Then I say fair game, why not explore that kind of thing? So I'm in the yes group on this one.