G.I. Joe
| Fandom | |
|---|---|
| Name: | G.I. Joe |
| Abbreviation(s): | |
| Creator: | Hasbro |
| Date(s): | 1964 - present |
| Medium: | Toys, Animated TV series, Live-action films, Comics |
| Country of Origin: | United States |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
This article or section needs expansion. |
G.I. Joe was originally a line of action figures (not dolls!) created by Hasbro, that expanded into a media franchise that includes animated series and live-action films.
Fandom
The original GI Joe was a realistic 12 inch doll (or action figure) aimed at boys based on soldiers in the military, it was seen as a male counterpart to Mattel's Barbie. In the 1970s due to the growing distaste of anything military-related due to the Vietnam War, it was rebranded as "Adventure Team".
"A Real American Hero"
In the 1982, a sub-franchise called "A Real American Hero" was introduced. It included not only toy, but comics and an animated series as well. The story focused on GI Joe, a special operations unit of the American Armed Forces dedicated to protecting world from the evil forces of the terrorist organization, Cobra.
"Barbie Liberation Organization" (1994)
From the February 1994 issue of the apa Strange Bedfellows, some discussion about genderfucking and Mattel:
THE NEW IMPROVED GENDER-FUCK BARBIE: Matel [sic] seems determined to cross gender boundaries with its most popular high fashion doll. First, several years ago, some cross-dressed Ken dolls were released in the stores and have become high ticket collectors' items. (This mistake was commemorated by a poster advertising a "Crossdressing" exhibit at Boston's Institute for Contemporary Art, said poster being this cover of this issue of Strange Bedfellows.! Then, word has gotten out that Barbie fans publish their own zines, including some "unauthorized" fanfic about Barbie and Ken. The fans include an odd mix of middle-aged, middle-class women and gay men, according to Lynn Spigel, a scholar who has been researching this fandom. Then, Mondo Barbie appears, a book of original fiction, some sexual, by well-known writers projecting their fantasies onto the molded plastic dreamgirl. Then, feminists protest and successfully block the marketing of a teen-talk Barbie who utters the immortal line, "I hate math class." Then, the lavender-clad Ken, mentioned by several of us last time and proudly displayed by Constance Penley at Escapade, goes to the market and is a big hit with the gay community, especially given the fact that he is wearing something around his neck that looks like a cock ring. Matel [sic] jokingly announces that there are no current plans to market a lesbian Barbie but you never know. And, now, just in time for Christmas, the Barbie Liberation Organization (BLO) has been buying Barbie and GI Joe dolls, switching their voiceboxes, and returning them to store shelves to dramatize the gender-stereotyped quality of their messages. Barbie said things like "Eat Lead, Cobra" and GI Joe proclaimed, "Let's Go Shopping!!!" On my trip to California, I spoke with a feminist scholar who had shown children various toys to see if they coded them as male or female. As part of the experiment, they fixed up a special Barbie who wears a GI Joe helmet and carries a submachine gun, while dressed in her evening attire. She said that this doll caused the most discussion among both boys and girls. Where will it all end? I am eagerly awaiting the marketing of Barbie and Ken clad with special clothes for the Gay Pride March or perhaps his and her leather outfits or... Oh, the possibilities are endless!...Meanwhile, of course, they are starting on Sesame Street, which has been trying to hold off a rumor campaign started by the religious right that Bert and Ernie are closeted gay lovers. They are starting slashing at an earlier and earlier age these days, it seems. [1]
Archives and Links
- Archive of Our Own tags:
- G.I. Joe at FanFiction.net
- CobraFanClub, Deviantart group
- The Finest, a cosplayers club.
Resources
References
- ^ comments by Henry Jenkins