Cyborg: From Stereotype to Posthuman Reality

The article traces the genealogy of the cyborg stereotype, from its origins in 1960 to contemporary manifestations in art, sport, and warfare. It highlights how athletes like Aimee Mullins and Oscar Pistorius used advanced prosthetics, while the US military invested $100 million in the 'Revolutionizing Prosthetics' program after the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The cyborg figure is analyzed through male and female stereotypes: hyper-masculine heroes like Terminator versus female cyborgs as male fantasies, critiqued by artists Mariko Mori and Lee Bul. Donna Haraway's 'Cyborg Manifesto' (1985) reframed the cyborg as a feminist tool to dissolve dualisms. The article concludes that as technology integrates into daily life, the cyborg becomes less a projection and more a mundane reality.