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04-01-2009, 01:58 AM | #51 |
Banned
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!!!!
Posts: 2,414
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Quote:
I think this little exchange about the Germans is all the evidence that is needed to prove that people are usually more interested in the 'bad guys'. For most, it's a 'journey to the other side' as most people are not considered 'bad'. And it's no secret that 'Cobra' was heavily influenced by Nazi Germany...
From the article: "G. I. Joe had been a favorite of boys across America since his debut as a 12" figure in 1964, but the popularity of the line had declined by the late 1970's. The line was in mothballs by the beginning of the 1980's, but the seeds of its return would be planted at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. When the U.S. hockey team defeated the Soviet Union in the fabled Miracle on Ice, a new wave of patriotism swept across the country, fueled by our on-ice victory over our Cold War enemies. The men on that 1980 U.S. hockey team became more than just hockey players. They became more than just Olympians. They became heroes. Real American Heroes. And it was that image of a team of Real American Heroes that would serve as the basis of Hasbro's reimagining of G. I. Joe. Instead of a singular hero known only as G. I. Joe, the line would now be centered around a team of military specialists, each with their own name and unique, colorful personality. And the Joe's would have their own arch enemy, Cobra, a menacing threat more terrifying than even the Soviet hockey team. G. I. Joe would be shrunk down from 12" to 3¾" and reborn as G. I. Joe: A Real American Hero." Source: 411mania.com: Wrestling - Don’t Think Twice 07.26.08: My Back Pages, Part II Also of importance: "t has been said that the original concept for the 1980’s GI Joe came from an officer of Hasbro Inc. watching the fan reaction of the Soviet – United States Hockey Finals in the 1980 Winter Olympics at a bar one night. At first the GI Joe rebirth idea was well embraced by the president of Hasbro Inc. It took about 2 years for Hasbro’s New Product Development Team and their official advertising agency to finally convince the President/ CEO of Hasbro to take a chance on the revival of GI Joe. Finally in 1982 the creative team triumphed and “GI Joe A Real American Hero” was born. The gurus at Hasbro decided to make GI Joe A Real American Hero a 3 3/4” action figure rather then revive the famous 12” toy line. This decision was based primarily on rival toy company Kenner’s hugely successful Star Wars line based on the immortal trilogy. At this time Kenner held the worldwide license to create and sell action figures and accessories based on the movies. Hasbro through marketing studies found that this was an attractive format because the Star Wars toys were selling like crazy even long after the movies had been released in the theater." Source: What is GI Joe? Last edited by Bravestarr; 04-01-2009 at 02:02 AM.. |
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04-01-2009, 03:53 AM | #52 |
Gear-Viper
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Cobra Island
Posts: 229
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I'm a bigger fan of Cobra then the GI Joe team. The members of GI Joe are versed, and are each handled as living individuals, but sometimes if feels like there too many of them - especially with members that have matching specialties, and the vary loose dress uniform codes. On the otherhand, Cobra (Red Shadows, The Galactic Empire, The German Reich, and so on) has a lot more nameless, faceless individuals, and they more organized. To me, the uniforms and the specialized units are a big win to me. With the ones are not so nameless/faceless (more or less), seem to be more dynamic because they have more limelight (which is the result of having most of the members made up of nameless grunts).
I see something deeper about it. As kids, we are told good always triumph over evil, and we were exposed to a lot of fiction with the good guys always coming out victorious. As we get older, we learn evil usually pwns over good, and get away with it. Somehow there is something vary charismatic about a villain who is just a rotten evil bastard! I think people are just sick of all the shinny, white-knight heroes who are made perfect by their moral standings, and a part of us wish they would just fail for once! Is like people have subconscious appeal to evil - like an inner bastard that enjoys lording over others, taking what one wants, being feared & hated by others - maiming, killing, and raping at will!!! This may seem over-the-top, but how often do we enjoy a villain as much or more so then the heroes - Darth Vader, Alex DeLarge (from A Clockwork Orange), The Joker (Jack Nicholson, Mark Hamill or Heath Ledger), Alonzo Harris (Training Day), Sephiroth, Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber and the Sheriff of Nottingham. Hell, I notice bag-guys become really tame (and neutered) when they convert over to the good-guys (for the life of me, I can only think of Vegeta and the original Green/White Power Ranger). Evil is fun, and it has a lot of fun perks that go with it - its almost zen-like, in a vary primal way. So, support terrorism! COBRA...LALALALALA!!! |
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