In what has to be one of the most bizarre Hollywood-government collaborations, the DEA once made a PSA video aimed at children featuring Robocop. In the video, Robo visits an elementary school and recites the Drug Free Oath before a classroom of children in both English (well, American English) and Spanish.
Who thought this was a good idea, I do not know. Robocop is hardly a child-friendly symbol, being the remnants of a dead man’s corpse encased in a metal exoskeleton, and the star of one of the most violent films ever made. Indeed, the film was so violent that the Pentagon rejected requests from the producers, even for minor help such as stock footage. The DOD’s database says of Robocop:
DOD FOUND NOTHING IN THE FILM BENEFICIAL TO THE DEPARTMENT. THEY FOUND THE FILM TO BE VIOLENT & BLOODY. THE REQUEST FOR STOCK FOOTAGE WAS DENIED.
But apparently not so bloody that it stopped the DEA from thinking Robocop was the ideal vehicle to deliver an anti-drug message to young children?
I can find very little information about this video so if anyone knows more – such as whether this ever broadcast or was actually used in classrooms – then please let me know. This one very much goes in the ‘weird shit I don’t know quite what to make of’ file.
Documents
DOD Database on Military-Hollywood collaborations