Patrick "Pat" Novak is the announcer and sensationalist pundit of "The Novak Element" and a secondary character from RoboCop (2014).
Role in the film[]
Pat Novak introduces audiences to the Dreyfus Act, created by Senator Hubert Dreyfus, which prohibits the use of robots for law enforcement in America, and expresses his wish that the amendment would be repealed. He insists that the use of robots would effectively reduce crime at no more cost of human police officers, and aggressively promotes and praises the current use of robots overseas to enforce the law, apparently paying little heed to how the law enforcement resembles a police state and its people oppressed. He also insists the American people supports the Dreyfus Act because "they didn't experience such technology, yet", deliberately forfeiting all and any moral or ethical implications of the law's repeal.
After the public introduction of Detective Alex Murphy ended with a swift impromptu arrest of a nearby felon on live television, Novak immediately dubbed him RoboCop and as "the future of American justice", pointing out the benefits of a robot cop and further turning public opinion for the repeal of the Dreyfus Act, especially after two Detroit police officers failed to identify the felon and bring him in.
As the Dreyfus Act is finally being voted and gradually in favor for its repeal, Novak rejoices and continues to praise RoboCop for his successful one-man war against crime. After RoboCop eliminates crime boss Antoine Vallon, solves the attempted murder on his own life, and at the same time, uncovers the corruption of the police who betrayed him, Novak solemnly praises him for what he accomplished at what may become another sacrifice of his own life, and further persuades the incorruptibility of law enforcement drones.
However, after Dr. Dennett Norton, RoboCop's physician and armorer, testifies and confesses the immoral activities of Omnicorp, as well as his own involvement, which resulted in the President vetoing the repeal of the Dreyfus Act, Novak is outraged and loudly curses Norton (censored) on live TV, as well as claiming the President was clearly manipulated by Norton's testimony and the American "biased" media. He ends his news report by dismissing complaints that American law enforcement violates civil liberties in foreign countries, effectively turning the US into "the same kind of bullying imperialists our forefathers were trying to escape",and glorifies America as "the greatest country on the face of the Earth".
Personality[]
Pat is aggressive, stubborn, and arrogant. He initially appears to passionately encourage safety and security for the American people, and he praises the people who would make this happen, such as Omnicorp CEO Raymond Sellars, whom he considers a true American patriot, while criticizing people whom work exactly the other way around, like Senator Hubert Dreyfuss, "a man with both feet planted firmly in the past", according to Pat, however, by the end of the film, it becomes apparent that Pat is, in fact, very arrogant and biased, over-glorifying America and pro-robotic law enforcement, and has virtually no consideration for the foreign people whom he publicly blesses for being "protected" by oppressive American automated law enforcement.
He also shows a manipulative tendency towards his program, to the point of cutting the feed to Tehran in the beginning of the film due to civilians dying along with terrorists to Omnicorp's military drones, as well as shutting down Senator Dreyfus as he was about to make his case, trying to separate the RoboCop program and Alex Murphy from the attempt to repeal the Dreyfus Act, which Pat outright questions if "Congress has become pro-crime".
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