The Real RoboCop is Closer Than You Think
RoboCop may be “the future of law enforcement” but he might also be much closer to reality than anyone ever dreamed or feared. Join us as we unpack this classic 1987 movie and the central concept that drives it.
“Come quietly or there will be…trouble.”
- Officer Alex J. Murphy (R.I.P.)
This episode of Does it Fly? is brought to you by our friends at Omni Consumer Products, who would like to encourage you to visit beautiful Delta City, Michigan, America’s safest place to live…or else!
Paul Verhoeven’s RoboCop (1987) is genuinely one of the finest science fiction films of the 1980s. Its unique blend of biting satire and over-the-top violence and gore set it apart from the endless parade of Reagan-era hyper violent action movies and the unique “media breaks” and corporate culture feel remarkably (perhaps disturbingly prescient) almost 40 years after release. Hell, we might even argue that the cynical vision of the future on display in RoboCop was too optimistic given the state of the world these days, but that’s neither here nor there.
Because the central conceit of RoboCop, using cybernetics to enhance a human for the specific purpose of perfecting law enforcement, may have seemed like the stuff of science fiction in 1987, but it’s a little closer to the realm of science fact today. Just how close is another story, but that’s for our hosts, Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi and Tamara Krinsky, to decide.
With that in mind, we’d like to remind everyone of the Prime Directives of our show (not to be confused with Starfleet General Order 1…we are a Roddenberry Entertainment production, after all):
Explain the Science of RoboCop
Unpack the Story Logic of RoboCop
Discuss the Vibes and Questions that RoboCop Raises
Uphold the Law
(Wait, no! That last one isn’t ours).
Check out the latest episode of Does it Fly? for the answers to these questions and more!
SUGGESTED VIEWING
The RoboCop franchise is…well, let’s pretend that it isn’t a franchise. There is one perfect movie from director Paul Verhoeven and then there are fainter and fainter echoes in the form of two big screen sequels (and one reboot), a pair of live action TV series, one average (if bizarre) animated series and one truly unwatchable one. Seriously, the 1987 movie is an all-time genre classic and is not to be missed, and that’s the crux of our discussion in this episode.
But there’s also a truly amazing four part documentary about the making of that film called, appropriately, RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop, which somehow manages to be every bit as compelling as the movie itself. Highly recommended for those who want to get an almost Tamara-like deep knowledge of this brilliant film.
FURTHER READING
Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do!
The Future of Law Enforcement
To build a cybernetic police officer, you require three key ingredients: powered exoskeletons, general robotics, and BCIs (brain-computer interfaces). All of these are pretty broad subjects, but the links will take you to what we believe are the easiest (and coolest!) overviews for the layperson.
Robot Police Dogs
My Stroke of Insight
Given how much of Robo’s origin story revolves around a traumatic brain injury and his essential recovery from that, Tamara recommends My Stroke of Insight, which you can find anywhere, but we recommend purchasing from here if you can.
“OCP Runs the Cops!”
We also recommend Radley Balko’s Rise of the Warrior Cop for further insight on the militarization of police. It was written back in 2013 but like RoboCop, it’s still incredibly relevant today.
WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?
For a more recent take on a sci-fi dystopia, allow us to recommend our Squid Game episode!
Just for comparison with another hero who uses robotics and cybernetics, we took a look at the science of Iron Man, as well!
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