Ted
The film Ted uses computer- generated imagery to portray the stuffed bear as a human figure. Ted, originally a stuffed bear, becomes autonomous once his owner’s wish for him to become real is granted. At first, Ted seems fairly simple minded: a stuffed bear that is no more animate than any stuffed animal. However, this quickly changes once the audience is aware Ted has facial expressions, can walk and talk, has his own thoughts and beliefs, and is essentially more human than animal. Freud claims the uncanny effect is created by “effacing the distinction between imagination and reality, such as something that we have hitherto regarded as imaginary appears before us in reality” (Freud 15). In relation to the quote, Ted gives some audience members a feeling of uneasiness because animals are not meant to be alive. At first, Ted was only stuffed and unable to communicate or interact, but takes a turn and is capable of being human in terms of the capacity of his mind.
The uncertainty of where the boundary lies between human and android or a hybrid of animal and machine is questioned repeatedly and deeply.
In the film, there is an internal and external struggle amongst characters and audiences about whether or not Ted should be considered a human being. Again, this goes back to Rachael in Blade Runner and the freudian robot argument presented by Lydia H. Liu. The uncertainty of where the boundary lies between human and android or a hybrid of animal and machine is questioned repeatedly and deeply. This is present in the film’s sequel, Ted 2 in which Ted tries to get citizenship in America so he can be considered a legal person. This instance alone evokes the uncanny emotion amongst viewers because animals, specifically those that are toys, are not designed to be close by way of intelligence or movements and functions to humans.
