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RoboJOF
Sgt-L4
 
Joined: 17 May 2015
Post Count: 306
Comment: Bitches, leave!
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  Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2021 5:02 pm |
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Isn't it amazing how the character, Bixby Snyder, who's presence in the RoboCop film is so indelible? Only about 2 minutes of screen time goes to this character, with only about 4 lines (aside from his raging alcoholic laughter) and he has relatively no impact on the plot, other than the fact that everyone in Detroit loves him and recognizes him and his classic phrase, "I'd buy that for a dollar!" Other characters in the movie can't help but burst into distracted laughter at the sight of him and on several occasions, his presence interrupts the entire movie! Along with the cynical commercials about life in a corporate USA, this character enhances the overall movie by keeping us grounded in realism. I have often wondered what the movie would have been like if it didn't have Media Break, the commercials, etc. and just focused on the characters in a traditional third person point of view. It may have been viewed as too serious, like its Canadian counterpart, The Vindicator.
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BIONICS BOB
O-L5*
Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Post Count: 148
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| Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2021 6:43 pm |
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Great observation. Also liked your mention of The Vindicator.
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RoboPimp
PIMPY SUPREME
Joined: 10 Mar 2007
Post Count: 3124
Comment: "You dead wrong if ya think that pimpin' gon' die" - Snoop Dogg, P.I.M.P. (Remix)
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| Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2021 8:09 pm |
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| RoboJOF : | | everyone in Detroit loves him |
From the RoboCop Wiki: "In a deleted scene from the first film, it is revealed that Snyder had been convicted for exchanging job security on his show for sexual favors from underage co-stars." so maybe not everyone in Detroit. 
Joking aside, you hit the nail on the head. Added up, Snyder probably has as much time onscreen as Cecil, but only one of those characters is beloved and remembered even by people who are not really fans of the movie. I have even been frustrated at times with how recognizable he is, because sometimes it seems like "I'll buy that for a dollar" is the only thing people remember from the movie. But it does show how sometimes the little things stand out the most. I think the fact that we get to see how people react to him in the movie itself goes a long way to making the character stand out so much. It makes the world feel more 'lived in', and being a sleazy character with a consumerist catchphrase just fits in perfectly with the themes and other characters in the movie. And I'll also say that cutting that scene where he gets busted, and also the topless pizza scene which is included in the deleted scenes on DVD and Bluray, was a smart choice. Bixby Snyder was a character best in small doeses. Unlike the media break, we didn't actually need to watch his show. Seeing people react to it was far more effective.
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Bixby Snyder
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