The sex in 'Dr. Strangelove'

Here, I'll examine the sexual themes in Stanley Kubrick's film 'Dr. Strangelove'

I am not a historian on the Cold War; I'm just a guy who loves movies and this analysis is my way of showing respect and appreciation to Kubrick and his collaborators for making this film. Thanks for stopping by:

There is a correlation between Jack D. Ripper ordering the bomber to nuke Russia, coitus or sexual intercourse, and the Doomsday Machine, described as a machine that can’t be shut off once triggered. Once Ripper sends the go-code to the 843rd Bomb Wing for the bombs to be dropped on Russian targets, every attempt to stop the bombers fails. In other words, the Doomsday Machine is 1) the Russian device itself; 2) a metaphor for Jack D. Ripper’s commitment to bombing Russia; and 3) sexual intercourse and the point of ejaculation and loss of control. Ripper explains it to Mandrake this way: 

“Women sense my power, and they seek the life essence. I do not avoid women, Mandrake. But I do deny them my essence.”

Denying women his essence means that during the act of sex, he pulls out prior to the moment of ejaculation or, in keeping this idea in the context of the bombers heading towards Russia, Ripper sends the recall code to the bombers carrying his essence which are the bombs themselves. This explains the fact that he commits suicide before being captured by the Army. Because in order for the bombers to drop their "loads," there can be no interference from the mind (he kills himself fearing he’d give up the recall code under torture) which also explains why none the radios in all of the bombers can receive messages. At a certain point in the act of sex, the mind shuts off which is why the radio on Major Kong’s plane gets damaged. The fact that all of the planes except for this one plane gets recalled is also an analogy of fertilization. (Web MD):

“The average ejaculation contains about 150 million sperm, but the majority of them will prove unfit for travel. Only 1 will actually penetrate."

This analogy can’t be ignored given the offbeat nature of the plot. Everything in this film is calculated and nothing in it is random. And remember also Ripper comparing the loss of his essence with a “profound sense of fatigue,” and compare this with the plane running out of fuel or becoming “fatigued” and unable to reach its target. Major Kong going down into the bomb bay to ‘manually’ fix the damaged doors is masturbation within the sexual context I use here. 

Chronology Of The Doomsday Machine

• Jack D. Ripper perceives that America is under attack by Russia
• He orders Mandrake to confiscate all of the radios on the base
• Ripper orders Mandrake to send the 3 digit standby code to 843rd bomb wing. 
• Major Kong double checks and confirms the code. He assumes the worst, that Russia’s already made a sneak attack on Washington
• Major Kong initiates the attack profile which involves setting the plane’s radio system to a 3 letter code prefix to protect communications between the bomber and base command. The only person who knows the 3 letter code prefix and can communicate with the bombers is Jack D. Ripper
• Ripper calls General Buck Turgidson to tell him that the 843rd bomb wing has been put under alert and that the planes are not able to get radio contact with base commander. Ripper, then, launches a preemptive attack on Russia.
• The US Army lay siege to the command base and overwhelms its security force. Fearing that he will give up the 3 letter code under torture, Ripper commits suicide with a gunshot to the head
• First, Russia hits the plane with a missile that hits but only succeeds in damaging the bomb door. Actually, the missile served to make stopping the bombing even more difficult by damaging the plane’s communication system
• Next, Mandrake figures out the 3 letter prefix to communicate with the bomber but with the communication system on the blink, that’s now impossible
• Next, even though the plane is low on fuel and unable to make it to its primary target, there’s just enough fuel to make it to a closer ICBM target
• Next, Major Kong goes down into the bomb bay to get the doors to open. The doors were damaged by the missile. He crimps a couple of wires and the doors open directly over the target

The sequence of events initiated by Jack D. Ripper ordering the planes to bomb the Soviets; Russia’s Doomsday Machine; the sexual act of ejaculation that the bombing of Russia represents—  All three of these elements illustrate processes that cannot be stopped until they are completed, thus, all 3 are the Doomsday Machine.