Dead Or Alive, You're Putting Up A Robocop Statue In Detroit

Steven Clubb · 01 Mar 2005

http://www.freep.com/article/20110209/N ... y=nav|head

Sci-fi fans won't take no for an answer: A statue of RoboCop must be erected in Detroit.

What started as a single suggestion for the statue on Mayor Dave Bing's Twitter account Monday ballooned into an international cyberspace debate Tuesday about the merits of immortalizing the 1987 science-fiction classic based on the city with a statue. Local supporters are planning petitions and protests.

"There are not any plans to erect a statue of RoboCop," Bing wrote on his Twitter account. "Thank you for your suggestion."

That statement unleashed a wave of responses from sci-fi fans and others amused by the debate.

Supporters of the statue, saying it will spur tourism and positive attention for the city, created a Facebook page called, "Build a statue of Robocop in Detroit," which encourages Bing to change his mind.

A few Facebook users are taking the matter into their own hands.

Victoria Bielecki of Phoenix pledged to buy the statue herself and "haul it all the way up there in my 1992 Suburban."

"Do you know how freaking awesome it would be for my 7-year-old to look up at a 10-foot statue of RoboCop?" the 27-year-old told the Free Press. "The city also needs something that represents security because of the crime rate there."

Others scoffed at the idea.

"Sorry, I think this idea is horrid," Carl Henry of Plymouth said on the Facebook page. "If you wanna build a statue, build one to represent an unemployed autoworker, homeless person or something deserving of recognition."

It's not a statue that Detroit needs, one poster said on Facebook.

"Detroit needs real RoboCops!" Jay Zerbel of Ferndale said.

A survey at freep.com showed 55% of 643 readers supporting the statue Tuesday evening.

While "RoboCop" remains a sci-fi classic, many Detroit boosters denounce its depiction of the city as a wasteland of crime and blight.

Junkie Luv · 17 Apr 2005

Hank · 01 Dec 2004

I, for one, would like to know what Monk thinks about this.

Ross · 03 Jun 2007

He wants a Robocop statue, but without the helmet.

Hanzo the Razor · 24 Jun 2007

There would finally be a reason to go out to Detroit. And to immediately leave.

Li'l Jay · 28 May 2006

I also Robocop as another candidate for the Ole Miss mascot.

Hanzo the Razor · 24 Jun 2007

Good thinking, Jay. Or the Predator.

Steven Clubb · 01 Mar 2005

I told a co-worker about this earlier today and he found the whole idea of a fictional character getting a statue to be absurd... except for Rocky... and Paul Bunyan... and Peter Pann... and Andy Capp... okay, that last one was pretty absurd.

Steve · 21 Oct 2004

It's ALREADY a wasteland of crime and blight. In fact, Old Detroit is less horrific than Now Detroit.

Judge WAN · 01 Aug 2005

Ooh, guns, guns, guns!

Come on, Sal! The Tigers are playing...tonight! I never miss a game.

Steven Clubb · 01 Mar 2005

An oldie but a goodie.

http://www.strangecosmos.com/content/item/6262.html

Quote:

Austrian town divided on 80ft steel Schwarzenegger statue

An Austrian town is divided on plans to erect a huge steel statue of Arnold Schwarzenegger in his Terminator role.

The 80ft statue in the centre of Graz will be a tribute to local boy Arnold Schwarzenegger and will tower over more traditional statues of Mozart and the Austrian Emperor Kaiser Franz Joseph.

But many locals believe the tribute is not in fitting with the town's image as it takes up the mantle of European City of Culture next year.

The giant steel Terminator will cost £3.2m and be built next year in Graz City Park.

A group of local artists, the Graz City Park Forum, is the main backer for the statue which was commissioned from two Russian artists, Aristarkh Chernyshev and Vladislav Efimov.

The building of the statue is well under way but the plan has attracted heated debate among those who want it scrapped altogether and others who want it moved to a more discreet location.

City Park Forum spokesman Herwig Hoeller says the proposal had met with a huge amount of support from both local people and foreigners and that the critics are in a minority.

He said: "I have received emails from many people saying they will certainly visit Graz when it is finished. It will be a major attraction and people will come from all over the world to see it."

Schwarzenegger already has a sport stadium in Graz named after him in recognition of his sporting achievements and Hoeller says it is now time his "giant achievements" as an actor were also honoured.

"Schwarzenegger is, after all, our biggest cultural export," he said.

Turns out it was a joke... but I want to believe.

Steven Clubb · 01 Mar 2005

Some real statues of iconic TV characters.

http://www.worldsstrangest.com/mental-f ... es-and-tv/

Steve · 21 Oct 2004

Who are the three statues in the last photo?

AMW · **Joined:** 26 Sep 2006 **Posts:** 4543

It can't be any stupider than retiring Willie Horton's number and erecting a statue of him at whatever-the-fuck-that-stadium-is-called-that-the-Tigers-play-in-now.

Stupidest, most pointless retired uniform number in the history of sports. Sparky Anderson had to die a senile old man before the Tigers finally retired his.

Steven Clubb · 01 Mar 2005

It's Johnny Depp standing next to his own statue... not sure who the other guy is.

Dead Or Alive, You're Putting Up A Robocop Statue In Detroit

Who is WANline