Why So Many Villains Named Bob?

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albie
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Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2008 3:11 am

Why So Many Villains Named Bob?

Post by albie »

Bob In TWIN PEAKS.
Bobby Peru in WILD AT HEART.(there are actually two villains called Bob in that film. The black man who attacks Sailor at the start is called Bob too. Not only that but at the car crash site we hear a woman shouting "Bob!" so another Bob probably dies in the crash- that makes three dead Bobs in one film two of whom die from head trauma- the crash victim probably died of head trauma too as that is probably the likeliest cause of death in a car crash)
The weird Bob in his paintings(one of whom is literally shagging a woman to death)
The Beast Rabann. DUNE.

And outside of Lynchia...

Sideshow Bob from The Simpsons.
Robert Gray(human name of Pennywise from IT)
Daniel Robitaille(Real name of Candyman in Candyman 2)
Boba Fett from Star wars etc.
Robert the doll from ROBERT.
Robin Hood( a villain)
Robin Goodfellow( a British Imp who would lure people into the woods and presumably they would be lost and die there. He was also called Puck and gave his name to the Hobgoblin as Hob is a variant of Rob)
Michael Myers from HALLOWEEN(kills a guy called Bob then wears a sheet and Bob's glasses to pretend to be him. His girlfriend calls him Bob twice)
Robert Sawyer(a killer form the film TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE TWO(incidentally people thought Leatherface was called Bobby in that film as he is referred to as Bubba, which some thought was a variant of Bobby)
The Hulk. (Middle name Bob. Interesting story behind that one. It was a mistake that occurred when the Hulk appeared in a Fantastic Four comic book and the writer called him Bob. They had to call him Bob from then on)
Robert Jacks who plays Leatherface in Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation.
In Manhunter/Red Dragon, Dr Lecter masquerades as a guy called Bob Greer to get the home address of Will Graham.
Then we have the film QUATERMASS AND THE PIT. Which is set on Hobb's Lane. The site of much paranormal activity. One character points out that the spelling has been changed from Hob. And they also point out that Hob is an old name for the devil. Hob is a familiarisation of Rob.

And actors who play villains...

Robert Englund who plays Freddy Krueger.
Robert Picardo who plays lead werewolf in THE HOWLING.
Robert zdar who plays MANIAC COP.
Robert Blake who plays The Mystery Man in LOST HIGHWAY.
Robert Loggia who plays a mob villain in the same film.

I have been collecting these Bobs for years and the list goes on. Some say it is a common name. Sure. But in that case where is the list of Bobs who are good guys? There isn't one.

I think there is more to it when Lynch says he likes the name Bob.

I once read of a word ROBET that is the word for DEMON in an ancient semitic language.

Lynch uses masonic imagery in MULLHOLLAND DRIVE. which involves the symbol of the Plumb Bob. A metaphor for correctness in modern Freemasonry.

This pic is from MULLHOLLAND DRIVE showing the bob as the light bulb. apt. It mirrors the bob in a Masonic mosaic found in Pompeii which also features an arch and a skull and lead bob. Another feature of the Pompeii mosaic is two sets of clothes one new and one old. In MULLHOLLAND DRIVE Kesher meets the cowboy beneath the skull and bob pictured. Kesher's clothes are ruined by paint and the cowboy's clothes are supernaturally clean and bright.

Image

Here is the mosaic.
Image

The first time we see Henry in ERASERHEAD he is BOBBING in space. The floor in his apartment building has a jagged pattern. A bobbing pattern. We see the same pattern in the red lodge in TWIN PEAKS.

I have a more complete list here...

http://www.horror.com/forum/showthread.php?t=68158

Keep scrolling for more and more Bobs.
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Soolsma
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Re: Why So Many Villains Named Bob?

Post by Soolsma »

BEELZEBOB

I reccomend you read The Secret History of Twin Peaks
Carrie Page: "It's a long way... In those days, I was too young to know any better."
albie
Roadhouse Member
Posts: 31
Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2008 3:11 am

Re: Why So Many Villains Named Bob?

Post by albie »

Soolsma wrote:BEELZEBOB

I reccomend you read The Secret History of Twin Peaks
I already thought of BaalzebOB. :)

I have that book. Haven't read it yet. I have been reading ROOM TO DREAM which is a biog of Lynch and in it he has a friend as a child who is called Bobby. They get up to some vandalism together. Maybe the genesis of Bob.
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