"It was not there to protect me from you. It was there to protect you from me"

October 30, 2009 5:31 AM

Where does the phrase "It was not there to protect me from you. It was there to protect you from me" come from?

I've been racking my brain to try and remember where this phrase, or a phrase very much like it comes from, but with little luck. It could be a horror movie, but I'm not sure. Any ideas?

posted by seanyboy to Media & Arts (9 answers total)

Best answer: I think it was a prison movie, where the guy says something like "These bars aren't protecting me from you all, they're protecting you from me." Something like that.
posted by orme at 5:40 AM on October 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

Uhh, kind of a stretch, but this reminds me of an exchange from the season 6 finale of Buffy:

JONATHAN: I just thought, you know, as long as you're protecting us , the least I could do is-
BUFFY: I'm not protecting you, Jonathan. None of us are. We're doing this for Willow. The only reason it happens to be your lucky day? Is because Willow kills you, she crosses a line, I lose a friend. (gets right up in Jonathan's face) And I hate losing.
posted by oinopaponton at 5:42 AM on October 30, 2009

Best answer: Was it Rorschach in Watchmen?
"None of you understand. I'm not locked up in here with you. You're locked up in here with *ME*! "
posted by magnusbe at 5:45 AM on October 30, 2009 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Yay! It's Watchmen. When Rorschach is locked up in prison.

"None of you understand. I'm not locked up in here with you. You're locked up in here with me."
posted by seanyboy at 5:45 AM on October 30, 2009

Best answer: I believe that line was from Neverwhere where SPOLERS! the archangel says to the hero, that the labyrinth under London was not there to protect him from the city, but to protect the city from him END SPOILERS!

I'm pretty sure I've heard variations on this line a million times in horror or suspense movies, so I'm really taking a shot in the dark here.
posted by 1f2frfbf at 5:46 AM on October 30, 2009

I'm pretty sure I remember Anthony (Hannibal) Hopkins saying something along those lines.
posted by fish tick at 6:23 AM on October 30, 2009

I'm a little late but the first thing that popped in my head is Mike Tyson saying "I'm on the Zoloft to keep me from killin' y'all".
posted by Busmick at 6:39 AM on October 30, 2009

I'm not here to protect Rambo from you, but to protect you from Rambo
posted by madeinitaly at 8:59 AM on October 30, 2009 [4 favorites]

Good call, madeinitaly: "I don't think you understand. I didn't come to rescue Rambo from you. I came here to rescue you from him."
posted by Jonathan Harford at 10:27 AM on October 30, 2009 [1 favorite]