Female androids, or "gynoids", are often seen in science fiction, and can be viewed as a continuation of the long tradition of men attempting to create the stereotypical "perfect woman". Examples include the Greek myth of "Pygmalion" and the female robot Maria in Fritz Lang's "Metropolis". Some gynoids, like Pris in "Blade Runner", are designed as sex-objects, with the intent of "pleasing men's violent sexual desires", or as submissive, servile companions, such as in "The Stepford Wives". Fiction about gynoids has therefore been described as reinforcing "essentialist ideas of femininity", although others have suggested that the treatment of androids is a way of exploring racism and misogyny in society.