G.I. Hans: The Rise of the Obama
by Ben ShapiroFor forty years, GI Joe has been a bellweather for America’s view of the military. If the new GI Joe movie is any indicator, we’re headed for a dry spell for pro-military sentiment under President Obama.
Originally launched in 1963 as a male version of the Barbie doll, GI Joe’s creators intended for the “action figures” to be a tribute to the armed services (prototypes included “Rocky,” the Army soldier, “Skip,” the sailor, and “Ace,” the pilot). GI Joe wore WWII or Korean War issue uniforms. For the next five years, GI Joes (including black GI Joe figures in particular areas) would dominate the market.
During the Vietnam era, Hasbro, GI Joe’s maker and distributor, decided to tone down the action figure’s military theme as a result of the Vietnam War. Instead, Hasbro shifted the marketing to “Adventure Team,” which included turning GI Joes into superheroes and having them fight “The Intruders: Strong Men from Another World.”
With the coming of Reagan, GI Joe regained his footing. Hasbro began marketing the product again as “GI Joe: A Real American Hero.” The action figure even spawned a successful TV series, which touted GI Joe as “the code name for America’s daring, highly trained special mission force. Its purpose: to defend freedom against Cobra, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world.”
Fast forward twenty years. Hollywood, always eager to capitalize on already-lucrative marketing, is ready to release its version of GI Joe: GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra. And the creators of the movie are marketing it specifically to the so-called NASCAR crowd. Says Paramount Vice Chairman Rob Moore, “Our starting point for this movie is not Hollywood and Manhattan but rather mid-America.”
Or not. Director Stephen Sommers, wary of international audiences, says that GI Joe will be in the mold of the Adventure Team 1970s. “This is not a George Bush movie,” Sommers explains. “[I]t’s an Obama world. Right from the writing stage we said to ourselves, this can’t be about beefy guys on steroids who all met each other in the Vietnam War, but an elite organization that’s made up of the best of the best from around the world.”
So GI Joe isn’t a Real American Hero – he’s a UN peacekeeper. This is reminiscent of the determinedly unpatriotic Superman Returns, which deliberately refused to state that Superman was fighting for “truth, justice and the American way.” Even GI Joe is now subject to the dictates of political correctness. We wouldn’t want Europeans thinking that we idolize the men and women of the American military. That would be uncouth.
This is a reflection of Hollywood’s read on the Obama Administration. When Hollywood tackled GI Joe back in the 1980s, it focused on the GI Joes as Americans through and through – undoubtedly, a stance impacted by the renewed patriotism of the Reagan Administration. But with Obama, it’s different – we’re supposed to think of American soldiers as pieces in a larger coalition. GI Joe is supposed to be GI Hans, GI Vladimir, and GI Cho.
GI Joe may be a good movie. It may not. But if the creators’ intentions are reflected in the film, there’s little doubt it won’t be an American movie.
Email this to a friend | Print |
Share on Facebook
| Tweet this
| 
Follow Us on Twitter
Subscribe via RSS
Tips & Feedback
69 Comments
My husband tells many a tale of the neighborhood boys and the dangerous missions their G.I. Joes had to undertake. Tying bandanna parachutes to G.I. Joes and launching them from the roofs or tossing them in the air. One time, one of the Joes didn't come down, and they never found him. He remains an MIA. For my part, my friends and I would have our Barbies dump our Kens in a heartbeat whenever G.I. Joes were home on leave (read that, whenever we could get the Joes away from our brothers). My husband maintains that Ken was a draft dodger.
In the war on islamic fundamentalist terrorism, I actually wouldn't mind having more of a coalition, but that doesn't mean we need to go around apologizing for what our military has helped make possible. Ever since Vietnam and his effeminance John "reporting for duty" kerry was tossing his medals over the fence, the left has treated our military like crap. They can talk about supporting the soldiers not the mission all they want, but we see it as the crap it is.
And that puts GI Joe in a positiont where they won't get my ten bucks. I heard that they were going to make him a UN Team and threw in the towel at that point. Then they supposedly changed it back. Now we hear this Hollywood Halfwit talking about Joe being an Obama World. Well, he can keep the change. I'll find something better to do with my ten bucks- like rent Red Dawn.
Besides, GI Joe can't be a UN force: They don't wear blue helmets and rape little kids.
Absolutely Right and Well said .I can only Wish my Grand-Children would have been brought up in My America with what ever short comings it had whether real or imagined. I miss the Clarity. Thanks for the post dcase.
Maybe GI Joe needs to stop clinging to his gun and his bible and sit down with Skip and have a beer.
I think it would be nice to hear from someone who's seen it.
Yeah, I know… it's all messed up making GI Joe international and what not, but as they are refusing to have showings for movie critics who they know will hate it and showing it in mid-America and on military bases instead… how bad can it be?
Let Sommers cover his tushie with those who can't stand heroism if he feels he needs to and…
… lets see the movie.
Seems to me that they can't make up their minds and want to have their cake and eat it too.
* big departure to being a UN Peacekeeper – on the one hand.
* Kid Rock song in the TV advert. GI joe adverts at the Kid Rock and Lynyrd Skynyrd concert tour on the other.
condescending Hollywood logic: "The NASCAR fans won't notice/care"???
GI Joe: The Metrosexual? Or, GI Joe: The Community Organizer? Doesn't quite have the right ring to it.
Poor GI Joe… to me he'll always be a real AMERICAN hero.
delta force.
chuck norris. lee marvin.
badguys die.
enough said.
"and the American Way" was removed from Superman's motto over 30 years ago, and if you watch the '40s cartoons, they didn't say it then, either. You might have other objections to "Superman Returns", but unpatriotic? This is what happens when you let 12-year-olds write columns. No real memory of history, so they rely uncritically on conservative talking points.
Can't wait till Shapiro grows up and has something interesting to say.
My fear is that the new GI Joe movie will turn into another metasexual, conflicted, brooding teen movie where 20 somethings who cannot grow facial hair are the stars. I grew up with the Joes in the 80s and I loved it. They were rough and tough. Each one had a story and each one looked to be a dangerous character. Why do they have to be played by prissy boys struting around in special suits? Where are the men?
If I want to see GI-JOE, I'll go watch John Wayne in The Green Berets. After all, he was called the "Duke".
GI Joe: "Obamamessiah, rise of the Brown Shirts".
Of course, the term "G.I." itself is peculiar to the United States Military.
By making this an "international" force, what do they imagine the G.I. stands for?
Also, I didn't recall that the original navy doll was named "Skip". Kind of figures, though. Nowadays they'd package him together with Ken as a playset.
In the real world, an "international" fighting force seems to consists of a whole lot of Americans, some Brits and Aussies, and a handful of Eastern European and South American soldiers. Somehow, I don't think that is going to be reflected in the movie.
[...] Ben Shapiro seals the deal with his excellent analysis of G.I. Joe in the age of Obama. Check it out here. [...]
G.I. Joe: Not interracial enough for the usual suspects:
http://movieblog.ugo.com/movies/does-g-i-joes-int...
Never mind the fact that they're destroying established Joe lore to take the most prominent female character (Scarlett) away from her established romantic interest (Snake Eyes) for reasons which are difficult to fathom if they exist at all… Nooo, the only thing that matters is being politically correct enough…
I read the novel. There's a scene where Hawk said that G.I. Joe started as a purely American force during WWII. He goes on to say that as threats reached a global scale, it was necessary to include the best soldiers from around the world.
I don't see a problem with having British, French, and Canadian people fighting alongside the Joes. It's still run by an American general, and shows at least three characters from the USA — that's more than all the other Joes combined.
I don't care what kind of garbage the director said — how could this be an "Obama world" when the good guys STILL fight the bad guys. There's no open-handed diplomacy, or moral equivalence in this pic … just butt-kicking.
If this were an "Obama world" the Joes would apologize for their past aggression and offer Cobra an aid package.
http://i30.tinypic.com/281spya.jpg
So, does this mean that the new G.I. Joe is part of the 'don't ask, don't tell' crowd?
See, here's the thing that drives me nuts about the whole "let's take the best from all over the world" argument.
America? Made up of people from all over the world. Immigrants from nations across the globe, coming to America to be free men and women, to be part of the Great Experiment.
So I don't buy it, as defensive arguments go. The only reason I can see for backing away from "A Real American Hero" is because they're terrified of appearing jingoistic. Like our current President, they don't believe in American Exceptionalism, even as they appropriate distinctly American icons to perpetrate their globalist nonsense.
I hope that scene you described is in the movie!
Ken wasn't a draft dodger. He was ineligible for enlistment for… other reasons (this was before "Don't ask, Don't tell). There's an old Eddie Murphy routine from SNL that talks about this. My favorite line:
"Stay away from Ken! Unless you want your kids to live in The Village and skip to work Stay away from Ken!"
Where are the men? I've been asking myself that question for a while now.
And some French soldiers. Apparently, once you get them out of their sorry little country they can be pretty badass.
ours was one of the first…
In full WWII regalia, replete with Helmet with D-Day type netting, M-1 Garand rifle (beginning our lifetime love affair with what Patton called 'The greatest battlefield implement ever invented') wool fatigues, .45, 'Pineapple' frag grenades, the works…
After school we would go to the retention pond and stage beach assaults. Perhaps creatively use a firework or three. Pick sides to see who were the Germans that day.
We still have Joe, although somehow wearing a Batman suit (!) and scuba tanks…
Our only wish is that today's youngsters could have the blast we had.
Technically, shouldn't the headline be "G.I. Josef?"
spot on…
This is easily the most schizo ad campaign we've ever seen. By trying to both have the cake and eat it they will have neither…
I'm a child of the 80's and I'm still mad my mom gave away my collection of Joes. It was a decent collection once……
Boyhood was great, but adulthood has it's fun too:)
Really? You have a story or something I can read about? I would love to see it.
A few years ago, the Weekly Standard had the most amazing parody of the new G.I. Joe style. Check it out and laugh your heart out: http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Arti...
A few years ago, the Weekly Standard had the most amazing parody of the new G.I. Joe style. Check it out and laugh your heart out: http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Arti...
<<This is what happens when you let 12-year-olds write columns. No real memory of history, so they rely uncritically on conservative talking points.>>
That's an interesting projection.
It is very simple, a large amount of Hollywood's income now comes from outside the US. So to recoup their budget for this movie they need to give it an international flavour to appeal to an international audience. Sound business sense really. It still has a heavy US feel to it, which in my opinion also helps in it's international appeal. It looks to me to be a good old shoot'em up with the good Vs bad guys, a bit of popcorn fun for the summer where you can sit down for a few hours in a movie theatre, turn your brain off and watch sh*t get blown up. Cool.
Which ones, the French Foreign Legion or the French… Um, what else is there? The French ceremonial palace guards?
before long, the terrorist/communist/socialist that used to be the enemies of the Joes will be us, and obama will be the figure head (since he is not a leader and will never be a leader, well maybe a leader of lint balls).
So who read this article by Shapiro to you? Mommy? Or your funny uncle Bill who lives in the Village and watches Gladiator movies?
Deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, the Philipines, Colombia, Korea…
What is real interesting here is that the defense to the de-Americanization of GI Joe is that they will make more money by exploiting foreigners. Kinda weird coming from a group that hates capitalism.
I know, I know, pointing out hypocrisy in liberal thought is like shooting fish in a barrel.
Capitalism as a liberal defense, how quaint.
Superman also fought the Nazis and the Japanese in the comics, on radio and in theatrical cartoons during World War II, so I believe "and the American Way" was pretty much a given at the time. Unless you think they had him battling Tojo and the 'dolpher for Uncle Joe.
Here's one thing I haven't seen answered — How big is the G.I. Joe franchise (dolls, TV show) outside of the U.S. to begin with? If the phenomenon is almost exclusively an American pop culture, then the marketing logic of catering to foreign tastes at the expense of the traditional story line makes no sense, since the character(s) have no draw through the name outside of the country, while people inside the U.S. who expect one sort of movie and get another will kill whatever buzz the movie has after the first weekend.
I'm thinking "Meh." As you point out, GI Joe has *always* been a product of the times, gung-ho when the country is gung-ho, more liberal when the country itself is more liberal. Having not seen the movie, I can't say that this is an example of that, but I've not noticed any members of the Joe Team in the commercials who have accents other than American ones. I didn't notice any British or German or (Heaven forfend) French Joes. Ultimately, I don't think this means anything, but if you're hot and burning for a return of the patriotic 80s Joes, I suggest you check out "GI Joe: Resolute," an hour-long animated special on DVD. Here's a review http://www.republibot.com/content/review-gi-joere...
It falls upon the same old Adage, Hollywood simply doesn't get the military culture and the image they portray to the normal American. Never have never will.
maybe- but can we promise the same childhood now? We insist on 'sexing' them up in pre-school, rather teach licentious behaviour than rugged individualism. Sad…
A displaced Texan in Yankeeland, no wonder you don't see many men! : ) Texas BBQ blessings to you.
You may be on to something there, JimBob7. I guess old campaigners like us will have to pick up the slack.
It is time for Rob Moore and Stephen Sommers to ACTUALLY visit mid America. So put down your lattes, cancel your manicures and spin classes and come visit us.
Or better yet, Troop 57 from Omaha will come to Hollywood and kick your asses for messing with their hero.
Well said. Frankly, I think way too many liberals have been allowed to write Superman. On the one hand, there's the version of him you're pointing out–the uber-patriotic true blue American who doesn't deliberately kill if he can help it (such is the Superhero's Code), but never hesitates to take the fight to the bad guys and who urges us the people to follow his example. On the other hand, there's the version he comes off as way too often, especially with "the American way" being so mocked–little more than a suped-up stooge of socialism who, whether directly or indirectly, urges us the people to just sit back and wait to be saved instead of doing anything ourselves about the evil in this world.
I shudder to think of how much this version of G.I. Joe will be like the latter version of the Man of Steel.
Yeah… the producers of this flick is having to wrestle with reality.
a) They want this new, improved G.I. Joe to be a member of an international fighting force…
… yet…
b) international fighting forces traditionally don't fight. They police. They monitor. They inspect. They issue very stern warnings and write resolutions.
*sigh* Again, another opportunity lost. I would have very much enjoyed a good, down-home, full-blooded American Army flick. Instead, we get another pasty, mealy, mush-mouthed, watered-down, morally equivocating CGI techno-spectacular.
I'll try to retain my neutrality until I actually see it. But, based on all this pre-release commentary, I won't spend the big bucks on it. I probably won't even rent it. I'll wait for 8 months, until I can get it for free from the library.
Too bad.
Eagerly awaiting the New Hollywood.
So G I Joe is a UN guy? So his team goes to places like Kenya and trade the Food they are supposed to give away to the poor for sex from children and women? And then they go to Lebanon and watch as the party of god assembles rockets and fires them over and over into Israel while doing nothing at all? And then back to trading UNICEF food for sex… That will be one hell of a movie!
Thank you!
Wish I remembered exactly which post, but it was one of Michael Yon's blog entries.
I forget. It was in something by Michael Yon about Afghanistan.
Right to Video . . .
Garbage in, Garbage out. You are dead wqrong as no recently made American Movie without the positive American theme has made any significant revenue overseas unless it was priated by our enemies. That's a fact, Jack. Look it up.
Naw you got it wrong, pardner. The top grossing American movies overseas all had a positive American themes and a high presence of American heroism. Look it up before shooting off your keyboard. Liberal Hollywoood and their international investors are dying on the vine but continue to make this crap to satisfy the America hating PC attitudes brought on by the big money investors (Rich Arabs and Europeans) distain for American values and heroism.
I wonder how much $$ Larry Hama got paid to put his name on this… picture..? Cuz I certainly hope it made up for years of underpayment at Marvel :p
btw: Issue 26 is probably my favorite of the Marvel series:
http://gijoe.wikia.com/wiki/Snake-Eyes:_The_Origi...
I saw the trailer and it looks like both sides are missing in action. Real GI Joe American Heroes and the Islamic Terrorists they are fighting. Fantasy is just another word for made up fakery. The fake GI Joes in this piece of crap would be ashamed to face Sargent Slaughter and explain why they aren't wearing America's Colors or fighting America's Wars.
GI Joe movie director says it’s not a Bush movie b…
Here’s some more from Ben Shapiro, and a video of an MSNBC interview with John J. Miller….
ya just don't get more American or more Bad A$$ than that!
Indeed, no telling what direction the movie will be going by the ad campaign. I intend to see this one regardless and will make my decision about it then.
They're out there. Right now many of them are overseas and in uniform, even those of us who where born and bred yankees. My sister is having the same problem you are, maybe even more so for living in San Francisco.
Stick to your guns as I am sure you are and soon enough you will not need to ask that question anymore.
most likely from the Foreign Legion. France imports alot of their badass's
Silent Interlude ROCKS!
I'm wondering if he had a "J.K. Rowling" moment to try to pander to a base that wouldn't normally see this kind of movie.
At least I'm not in SF! Your poor sister! Maybe she should start a non-lib-in-SF club – at least all four of them can get coffee together. Thanks for the pep talk.
Awesome idea. I'll run that by her. And your welcome. *winks*
You must be logged in to post a comment.