Editing RoboCop (section)

=== Masculinity and authority ===
Vince Mancini describes the 1980s as a period in which cinematic heroes were unambiguously good, as depicted in films that promoted suburban living, materialism and unambiguous villains such as ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]'' (1981) and ''[[Back to the Future]]'' (1985).<ref name="UproxxRetro"/> Some films of the decade send the message that authority is good and trustworthy, but ''RoboCop'' demonstrates that those in authority are flawed and Detroit has been carved up by greed, capitalism and cheap foreign labor.<ref name="UproxxRetro"/> Weller described RoboCop as an evolution of strait-laced 1940s heroes such as [[Gary Cooper]] and [[Jimmy Stewart]], who lived honorably; modern audiences now cheer a maimed police officer taking brutal revenge.<ref name="LATimesVerhnMakesGood"/>

Susan Jeffords considers ''RoboCop'' among the many "hard body" films of the decade that portray perfect, strong, masculine physiques who must protect the "soft bodies": the ineffectual and the weak. RoboCop portrays strength by eliminating crime and redeeming the city through violence. Bullets ricochet harmlessly off his armor; attempts to attack his crotch (a typical weak point) only hurt the attacker, demonstrating the uncompromising strength and masculinity needed to eliminate crime.<ref name="GuericaMag"/> According to [[Darian Leader]], the addition of something unnatural to a biological body is required to be truly masculine. RoboCop's body incorporates technology, a symbolic addition that makes him more than an average man.{{sfn|Leader|1996|pp=27—29}}