A friend of mine named Sarah Diaz posted on Facebook, "RoboCop is America's Godzilla franchise. Discuss." It immediately got me thinking about how she had a point. I mean, at the most basic level they represent the hubris of humankind--Godzilla is born from our nuclear weaponry and Robocop is a corporation thinking they can build the perfect law enforcement officer out of machinery and a tiny bit of humanity. It works at multiple levels, however. Both alternatively protect and terrify their home regions (Japan/America--specifically Detroit) and both are looked at as monstrous to a degree but have a kind heart buried within their off-putting demeanor. Each franchise is deeply rooted in its home nation's worries and fears (Godzilla is a physical representation of the impact of WWII on Japan, in essence, and Robocop's movies showcase capitalism and law enforcement with no checks or balances). It all makes a shocking amount of sense.
The metaphor isn't perfect as Robocop has never gone to a Robocop Island/Monster Island but just as Godzilla has had crossovers with other characters (King Kong is a big example) Robocop has done so as well--at least in comic-books (Robocop/Terminator is notable and wacky). Godzilla and Robocop are looked at with a mix of awe and trepidation. They represent each nation's anxieties about just how bad things could get. One is a big more horror-leaning (Godzilla) and Robocop definitely has satirical and self-aware elements, but the tones aren't that different in the end--they both are worst-case scenarios that we pray turn out better than our country's history would indicate. I want to thank my friend Sarah for inspiring all these thoughts and giving me material for my blog--it is definitely a lot to chew on.
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