I saw this last night. For Mcdonalds dollar menu. Spokesperson utters the infamous line, "I'd buy that for a dollar!"

It is part of the series that also has a person sexually fetishizing hamburgers by quoting the line, "I'd hit that."

Has it been playing for long?

For some reason, I thought that phrase pre-dated Robocop. I could be wrong.

Wasn't that also in Running Man?

imdb.com lists it also as a quote from DePalma's Body Double, made 3 years earlier. But I guess I really always thought Robocop owned the term, by using it in such an effective way.

I thought it was from the TV show on Robocop?

I had this image in my mind when I saw the tread title of Hamburgler finally having enough of Ronald taking back the burgers that he gunned Ronald down. Mayor McCheese's company rebuilt Ronald into a crime fighting (hamburger crimes at least) machine. Ronald and his friend Grimace use the power to take down Hamburgler & the pirate guy (can't remember his name) once and for all. Fry Guys party!

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marching_Morons

Morf's right, it started with "Marching Morons." Read it in college, and when Robocop came out, I remember sitting in the theatre thinking, "Hey, they got that from Marching Morons."

Unfortunately, a lot of our things in our current society (entertainment & consumerism, for example) are proving the story to be frighteningly prescient.

The whole point is that the OP really jumped the gun.

I'm sick and tired of people hearing a cliche phrase or established word and assuming their beloved movie coined it.

If you wanna see the worst example of this, head over to the IMDB page for "The Phantom Menace" and look at the movie connections.

You'll see a "reference" to "Chasing Amy". Why is that? Because several braindead idiots thought that use of the word "Nubian" was a reference to Kevin Smith's film. Forget the millions of Nubians that have lived in Egypt for thousands upon thousands of years. Forget the ethnic connotations the word has. To some 15-year-old George Lucas sits around all day and watches "Chasing Amy" and names spaceships after lines of dialogue.

As for this hilarious "Mcdonalds commercial rips off Robocop" proclamation, do you really think someone at McDonald's was like "what makes people hungry for cheaply-made fast food? I know, an obscure line from an ultra-violent sci-fi/comedy from the late 80's."

Ask yourself if that's really what happened.

Yes, I actually believe that happened.

I don't think I jumped the gun, I still believe the quote, which isn't really obscure, became more a part of the public lexicon because of Robocop, than for any other story, film, etc.

Ad people are usually movie geeks, and pop culture gluttons.

I believe this is what happened.

Hilarious.

I think it comes directly from Robocop as well.

I haven't seen the ad yet, but I've never heard anybody use that line who wasn't referring to Robocop. And I've never eard anybody quote "The Marching Morons".

What's the proof, beyond a mention in overhypedia, that there is a conection between the movie and the story?

I've got the muscle to shove so much of these minced onions up your stupid sesame-seeded ass that you'll shit snow for a year!

These Mad Libs they're giving away in the Happy Meals are great!

"I'd Buy That For A Dollar" Google hits: 37,300
+"I'd Buy That For A Dollar" -Robocop: 31,600

Clearly Robocop's "claim" to the expression is minimal.

Also, doesn't the Joker say it in "Batman"?

OMG McDONALD'S RIPPED OFF BATMAN!

My question with the McDonalds commercial is what the hell is Jeremy Miller from Growing Pains doing there?

Thats a better question. The first thing I thought of was those lame vh1 shows with d-list "celebrities" and "comedians".

Yes, because every person who uses that term also remembers to mention Robocop when they utter that line.

I don't think its too far of a stretch to annoit that the line is most known from Robocop versus any other form of medium. Now whether an advertising agent from McDonalds thought of the idea after watching Robocop... who knows.

Jesus. Just Google it. I've already taken the time to give you one source, and 15 seconds on Google just found me a dozen more.

I would NOT buy the idiocy to which this thread has devolved for a dollar.

I know people who swear that Seinfeld came up with "yada yada yada". It's been in the lexicon (especially if you're Jewish) for ages.

But just for the record, count me as one of the "morons" who thought "I'd buy that for a dollar" was primarily associated with RoboCop.

Saying I'd buy that for a dollar seems kinda common. It's like trying to attribute "You're fired!" to Donald Trump. He might be known for it, but its a common saying that most people just say without pulling it from a source or trying to reference anything.

I'm still waiting to hear what the connection is. Did the writer admit that he cribbed it from the story? Or did you just locate a dozen more assumptions that the connection exists?

Can someone explain how "Would you buy it for a quarter?" (from "The Marching Morons") is the same as "I'd buy that for a dollar" (from Robocop)? I don't see it.

For the record, Robocop is the first thing I think of when I hear the line.

Verhoven put that gag in the movie to satarize idiotic catchphrases that become popular among Americans.