MovieChat Forums > La Bamba (1987) Discussion > The Mom Treated Bob Like Trash!

The Mom Treated Bob Like Trash!

posted 13 years ago by CeeCee_Green
20 replies | jump to latest

I understand that Bob was troubled and was no angel, but his mother should have encouraged him as much as ahe encouraged Richie. I think that Bob drank and smoked weed to numb himself from the pain. He was irresponsible, but that comes from how he was raised. I know what it's like to have my mother favor my brother, and it's not fun. You're always competing with someone you're supposed to love. It's just a weird dynamic. I'm sure Richie felt bad about it too. The mom made it totally obvious that she loved Richie more, and I can so relate to that situation.

Sincerely,
Katie Williams

[–] chambers112 13 years ago

Bob was an a**hole. Every time one of the family would reach down and try to pull him up, he'd end up dragging them down. His mother tried but she couldn't do for him what he wouldn't do for himself. He spent a lot of time feeling sorry for himself and I think he liked it there. His goal seemed to be to have others feel sorry for him too. Bob's treatment of himself and his whole family was the biggest obstacle. However bad his childhood was, he was a grown man now and stayed way too long at the pity party.

meg.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] chas437 12 years ago

I have to politely disagree. The Bob-O character was an outright *beep* ex-con, who was nothing but a drain on and source of misery for his family. His single mother was trying to raise a family in dire poverty, and Bob-O was nothing but an obstacle. In the end, Bob-O found a way to blame everybody but himself for his condition. His type represents the worst stereotype within the Hispanic Community. People like Bob-O invariably end up in penitentiaries or dead before age 30.

[–] doctor_dickenstein 12 years ago

"bob-o" was bob keane, ritchie's mgr, not his brother "bob".

"He must've thought it was white boy day. It ain't white boy day, is it?"

[–] chas437 12 years ago

No, Bob-O was his half-brother's nickname. The one time Ritchie called his manager Bob-O, his manager did a double take.

[–] doctor_dickenstein 12 years ago

i've seen this movie umpteen times and just watched last nite (ondemand) and not once did i hear ritchie refer to his brother as "bob-o". unless of course you're referring to a biography or some other source of info.

"He must've thought it was white boy day. It ain't white boy day, is it?"

[–] doctor_dickenstein 12 years ago

hello?

i've seen this movie umpteen times and just watched last nite (ondemand) and not once did i hear ritchie refer to his brother as "bob-o". unless of course you're referring to a biography or some other source of info.

"He must've thought it was white boy day. It ain't white boy day, is it?"

[–] chas437 12 years ago

You are right, I watched it again the other night. I stand corrected.

[–] doctor_dickenstein 12 years ago

no problem, and as info, i wasn't tyring to prove you wrong by any means, i just wasn't sure if i missed something....

"He must've thought it was white boy day. It ain't white boy day, is it?"

[–] chas437 12 years ago

No worries mate!

[–] chas437 12 years ago

I couldn't disagree more. First of all, Bob is much older than Ritchie, and has been recently released from Prison when the film begins, so, we have no idea whether or not Bob recieved encouragement when he was Ritchie's age or not. Bob obviously made the wrong choices in life from early on, and it seems to me that he was just a bad seed to begin with. The mother was trying to raise a family in dire poverty, and Bob was only brought more grief and misery to the family. Bob seemed to find a way to blame everybody but himself for his condition. His type represents the worst sterotype within the Hispanic Community. I'm sure our penitentiaries are filled with Bob-O's, all of which have a sad story about how its someone else's fault.

[–] wardevil360 12 years ago

I thought bob-o was just misunderstood. They never showed the loving , caring, nurturing side of him. Sure he sold drugs. But with that drug money he gave back. He gave back to the people around him, his friends, his family. You went over to bob-o's house and a chilled beer was in your hand before you could ask if he had $5 dollars to lend you until payday to go buy your own. Weed was always on hand too. Bob was a real generous host. What happened was his mom got into people ear and was talking a lot of *beep* just because thats how mexican moms do when their son is a popular guy in the neighborhood. They want that boy all to themselves and no one will take that away from them. Bob just flashed his own set now and again and connie was furious and deep down resented bob because he was just like the guy that broke her heart back in old mexico.

[–] chas437 12 years ago

Does this come from a biography of Ritchie Valens? None of this information can be learned from the film. I'm curious as to the source of this information.

[–] doctor_dickenstein 12 years ago

"bob-o" was bob keane, ritchie's mgr, not his brother "bob".

"He must've thought it was white boy day. It ain't white boy day, is it?"

[–] lindsaytomcat 11 years ago

It was also bobs money that got them out of the fields and got his brother a chance, and it was also his money that funded many of his brothers early recordings.

[–] senorjuez 12 years ago

Bob had lost his mother's trust and that made her skeptical of him.

[–] jefgg 12 years ago

Maybe Connie preferred Ritchie's father over Bob's father. Some people are like that.

[–] cheluzal 10 years ago

I doubt she started treating him like that from birth.
He was a loser who made bad choices and did nothing to make his life better.
That grows weary after time.

Real LOSERS spell 'loser' looser!

[–] eddieinportland 10 years ago

In the movie, Bob grew up when he found out that Ritchie was killed.

Before that he blamed everyone for his problems. Ritchie has a concert at the VA hall. Bob shows up drunk with his friends and starts a fight. Who does Bob do? Tells Ritchie that the world doesn't owe him a living.

In the movie Bob love for his family was a hot/cold love. One moment he was there for them. Then he would be gone for a week and nobody knew when he was going to return. Rosie once said to Bob that she has no idea when he would be home. And Bob tells her it's none of her business when he returns.

This is such a great underrated movie.

[–] SellaSellyBowBelly 8 years ago

How did she treat him like *beep* She was mistrustful of the drugs and drug money and the consequences that come with that as any mother would be, and didn't like Bob's drunken behavior. But she loved Bob. She let him provide for her a house, she cooked for him, and could be affectionate towards him like when Richie has Bob share that he won the art contest. She just wasn't encouraging of his bad behavior.