Типа такой vs типа такого

Question

I'm having trouble knowing when to use the expression типа такой vs. типа такого. For ex:

He was watching 'The Walking Dead' or something like that. Он смотрел "Ходячие мертвецы" или типа такого. Why not simply "или типа такой"?

Or this example: Marvin has a bib. У Марвина есть слюнявчик

Maybe you need something like that. Может, тебе нужно что-то типа такого.

(Again, why not simply "типа такой"?)

If someone could provide some clarifying examples of use, I'd be grateful.

Answer 1

Типа/наподобие/вроде govern Genitive, which in English can be rationalized through the question of which/what type? or more literally of the type of what? - of the type of that, also mind that in combination with что-то - такого is a Genitive of такОЕ and not of такОЙ, and instead of типа такого you can also say такого типа where такого refers to the тип which translates as of such type into English.

That said, типа такой/ая/ое/ие (and in other inflexions required by the predicate) is also a valid combination, applicable in interrogative sentences where a speaker asks about a kind of something, but in this case типа is a rather slangy filler word or a slang variant of the normal вроде/наподобие + Genitive pretty low in register, e.g.
- (a punter) Мне нужен портфель such and such
- (a salesman showing a briefcase) Типа такой?

And as a follow up... Он типа такой крутой полицейский. -- This is where the confusion comes in. Shouldn't this then be "типа такого"?

The chosen case conditions the meaning, in Nominative it expresses sarcasm, whereas in Genitive it's a straightforward expression of semblance to something with no hidden agenda. It could be that in the policeman sentence the case wasn't chosen very carefully if it meant to express just semblance. Admittedly in practice some overlap may occur in use of both cases but the first meaning i get reading the policeman sentence is sarcasm.