Bender Bending Rodriguez
Bender Bending Rodriguez (known simply as Bender) is a fictional sapient robot in the Futurama animated cartoon television series.
Though it also refers to his occupation, the name Bender is a reference to John Bender, the rebel stoner played by Judd Nelson in the John Hughes film The Breakfast Club. It may also be a pun on a drinking binge, noting his gluttonous consumption of booze.
Bender was built in the Mom's Friendly Robot Company plant in Tijuana, Mexico, circa 2998 AD. He is a Bender Unit 22. As his name indicates, he was created for the task of bending metal girders. On December 31, 2999, Bender was waiting in line to use one of New New York City's public suicide booths (he claimed he couldn't go on living when he found out that the girders he bended were used for suicide booths) when he met Philip J. Fry, a pizza delivery boy from the 20th century who'd just been revived from cryogenic stasis earlier that day. After meeting Fry, Bender decided to put off killing himself until later and ended up getting a job with Fry (and Turanga Leela) at Planet Express, an intergalactic package delivery business.
Bender drinks alcohol on a regular basis because many robots on Futurama use it as fuel. If he doesn't drink, he becomes disoriented and grows a beard of rust. He also curses, fights, argues, smokes cigars (because, he says, they make him look cool), reads pornography, constantly demands attention and praise from everyone around him, and is a kleptomaniac who snatches wallets and other valuables at every opportunity. His limbs and eyes are extendable and detachable, and he has a cavity in his chest that seems to afford limitless space to store his beer, loot, and whatever dials or buttons he requires for a gag in a given episode (e.g. a voice modulator). His eyes can also function as a camera; he has a total of three cameras on his body. According to information from various episodes, he is composed of 30% iron, 40% zinc, 40% titanium and 40% dolomite, suggesting that either his body's structure and composition may change on a regular basis, or that some of these materials overlap in composition.
Despite his vices and macho posturing, Bender has several tender traits, such as his semi-secret aspirations to be a cook or a folk singer as well as a soft spot for turtles and penguins. He shares an apartment with his human friend Fry, who said he always wanted a robot for a best friend when he was growing up in the 20th century. Magnets placed close to his head tend to screw up his equilibrium and inhibitions.
Bender's serial number is 2716057, which is expressible as the sum of two cube numbers ((952)³ + (-951)³). He shares this trait with another Bending Unit he meets called Flexo, whose serial number is 3370318 ((119)³ + (119)³).
Bender's CPU is a MOS Technology 6502. This is shown in the episode "Fry & the Slurm Factory" when an F-ray is pointed at Bender's head.
Bender is voiced by John DiMaggio.
Quotes
- "Bite my shiny metal ass!"
- "Cheese it!"
- "Well, I'm boned."
- "Kill all humans."
