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  • Detrot's RoboCop controversy

    Some see this like the Rocky statue in Philidelphia, an iconic image associated with the city, while others feel the films dystopian atmosphere enforces negative stereotypes of the area just as it's trying to recover from decades of corruption.

    I see RoboCop as a heroic figure trying to pull his city and its people back into normalcy at all costs - a more humane figure than his own creator and in line with todays struggle. It should be placed in the waterfront park, right across from the giant Fist Of A Champion (bottom - boxer Joe Louis's fist)



    Reuters....

    Fans rally to raise money for RoboCop statue in Detroit

    (Reuters) - Like RoboCop himself in the cult classic movie, plans for a statue of the mechanized crime fighter in Detroit may not be dead after all.

    On Monday, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing touched off a debate on the internet when his office rejected a suggestion that the struggling city erect a statue to RoboCop.

    The question had come into the mayor's office via Twitter from someone who later tweeted that the idea had been a joke.

    But by Thursday, more than 4,000 people had joined a Facebook page to support the idea of bringing a RoboCop statue to Detroit, and a group of artists pledged to raise $50,000 to fund its construction in an online campaign.

    In the 1987 movie starring Peter Weller, a mortally wounded Detroit police officer is brought back to life as a half-man, half-machine crime-fighter.

    Some Detroiters have argued that the city should not celebrate a movie that portrays Detroit as suffering from a "cancer" of crime when efforts to build statues of Motown pop music legends such as Michael Jackson and Diana Ross have languished.

    "I think the important thing in the movie is RoboCop himself and the values he stood for," said Brandon Walley, an artist and one of the founders of a fund-raising effort.

    "I think a lot of people that are saying that movie just puts Detroit in a negative light," Walley said. "Well, there's a lot more in there that they might be missing."

    Bing's spokeswoman, Karen Dumas, told the Detroit Free Press that the mayor would consider using public land for a donated RoboCop statue.

    "Should the opportunity present itself to receive a donation of this or any other works of public art, we will consider acceptance and appropriate placement," she said.
    Last edited by Dr Mordrid; 14 February 2011, 16:26.
    Dr. Mordrid
    ----------------------------
    An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

    I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

  • #2
    It was similar in Bosnia where Catholic Croatians on one side and Muslim Bosnians on the other side of river could only agree to build statue of Bruce Lee (Martial arts movies were huge hit in Bosnia).

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    • #3
      I still think it is a bit weird to erect a statue for a fictional character that is not part of historic folklore...
      pixar
      Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die tomorrow. (James Dean)

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      • #4
        They've exceeded their fundraising goal....

        Looks like they'll have enough to build a rather large one.

        If a RoboCop statue built with private funds symbolizes the toughness and instinctive drive to do the right thing they'll need to rebuild, so be it.
        Last edited by Dr Mordrid; 16 February 2011, 09:43.
        Dr. Mordrid
        ----------------------------
        An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

        I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

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        • #5
          Originally posted by VJ View Post
          I still think it is a bit weird to erect a statue for a fictional character that is not part of historic folklore...
          I think it's good: Every civilization have their mythology from ancient Egypt gods to medieval lyrics and mythology USA has developed are superheroes and Holywood characters, so for them statue of Robocop would be like statue of mermaid in Copenhagen. Also comics and movies are arts that developed in 20th century when America dominated World.
          Last edited by UtwigMU; 16 February 2011, 17:44.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by UtwigMU View Post
            It was similar in Bosnia where Catholic Croatians on one side and Muslim Bosnians on the other side of river could only agree to build statue of Bruce Lee (Martial arts movies were huge hit in Bosnia).
            I think EVERY city should have a statue of Bruce Lee.
            Q9450 + TRUE, G.Skill 2x2GB DDR2, GTX 560, ASUS X48, 1TB WD Black, Windows 7 64-bit, LG M2762D-PM 27" + 17" LG 1752TX, Corsair HX620, Antec P182, Logitech G5 (Blue)
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            • #7
              Originally posted by Mehen View Post
              I think EVERY city should have a statue of Bruce Lee.
              wwaaaaaAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!

              You couldn't put one in Texas though. Putting the image of Bruce Lee in the same state as Chuck Norris would cause ruination to the entire south. Just look what happened to Rome after Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris were in the same place at the same time.

              Rome before filming The Way of the Dragon:



              Rome after filming The Way of the Dragon:

              “Inside every sane person there’s a madman struggling to get out”
              –The Light Fantastic, Terry Pratchett

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              • #8
                Is there nothing they could spend the money on that would be more beneficial to the people in the community than a statue of a fictional movie charactor?

                How many inner city, poverty stricken kids could that money feed school lunches to for a year?
                How many text books would those funds buy?

                Waste of funds if they build it.
                Sad.
                Core2 Duo E7500 2.93, Asus P5Q Pro Turbo, 4gig 1066 DDR2, 1gig Asus ENGTS250, SB X-Fi Gamer ,WD Caviar Black 1tb, Plextor PX-880SA, Dual Samsung 2494s

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Kruzin View Post
                  ...
                  How many inner city, poverty stricken kids could that money feed school lunches to for a year?
                  Given the ~$2.60 cost of a school lunch (USDA number) and a 180 day school year (typical) a $50,000 statue would pay for about 108 kids. For ONE year. Fewer in districts with longer school years.

                  How many text books would those funds buy?
                  The average high school textbook costs ~$70, so a $50,000 statue would cover 6 books for about 118 kids. K-12 books cost a bit less. Workbooks & supplements are extra. Yes, the school book market is obscene.
                  Last edited by Dr Mordrid; 16 February 2011, 22:11.
                  Dr. Mordrid
                  ----------------------------
                  An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                  I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    And even at these ridiculous prices, would it not be better to spend that $$ on the kids?
                    How is building that statue better than supplementing needy kids?
                    Core2 Duo E7500 2.93, Asus P5Q Pro Turbo, 4gig 1066 DDR2, 1gig Asus ENGTS250, SB X-Fi Gamer ,WD Caviar Black 1tb, Plextor PX-880SA, Dual Samsung 2494s

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                    • #11
                      That's one way to look at it, but it's an absolutist narrow view. One could also say that any recreational expense should be re-targeted into the classroom. The problem becomes where does it end?

                      Should Time Magazine have donated the funds it spent on Fist Of A Champion to the Detroit Public Schools, a district that has been known to "lose" $50 million of state money by not filling out state aid forms on time? How about the statue of Joe Louis in front of Cobo Hall? The list is long.

                      Another problem is that numerous studies show that above a given point, one that was long ago exceeded in most locales, how much you spend on education has little to do with the end result. Home, parochial and academy school results show this rather starkly. How the money is used tends to matter more than how much.
                      Last edited by Dr Mordrid; 16 February 2011, 23:20.
                      Dr. Mordrid
                      ----------------------------
                      An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                      I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        So what you're saying is that it doesn't matter, these kids are a lost cause because of their living/home/social environment.

                        We should spend the money on meaningless comic book "art", don't bother even trying to help them...just build us something cool to look at....
                        Core2 Duo E7500 2.93, Asus P5Q Pro Turbo, 4gig 1066 DDR2, 1gig Asus ENGTS250, SB X-Fi Gamer ,WD Caviar Black 1tb, Plextor PX-880SA, Dual Samsung 2494s

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                        • #13
                          This is a thin line to thread on...
                          On one hand, Kruzin has a point about social aid and education, basically implying that you can do things such as erect statues only when you have the means to spare. I tend to agree with this view...
                          But on the other hand, the human psyche is weird. If the kids see their neighbourhood is still cared for, it might give them that small push to better themselves... (maybe wishful thinking?) And as Doc said, where will you draw the line?
                          pixar
                          Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die tomorrow. (James Dean)

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                          • #14
                            In its day The Little Mermaid statue could have been looked at as frivolous too - fairy tales and todays comic/sci-fi both being popular mythological fictions. Whose to say theirs will be looked on as "better" a century from now?

                            The key point is that all of this money is from private donations, the average being $17 a pop - the cost of a new release DVD @Wal-Mart. If it were public funds then it would be another matter. It's none of our business.

                            Vox populi.
                            Last edited by Dr Mordrid; 17 February 2011, 01:33.
                            Dr. Mordrid
                            ----------------------------
                            An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                            I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              That is true...
                              In a way, it is nice people do something to better the community by providing funds for such things; it could allow public funds to be used properly...
                              pixar
                              Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die tomorrow. (James Dean)

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