Re-educating GI Joe
How should the US Military educate GI Joe so that he fits into the new global environment of terrorism on the one hand and multiculturalism on the other?
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
The re-education of GI Joe
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GI Joe was an important and influential program of the 80s youth. One could make an argument that the positive American propaganda which was the underscore of each episode had a constructive impact on the youth. Historically, GI Joe took place during the Cold War, and had an important role in the education and security of the youth. Early in the cold war there were no programs portraying the US in a positive win win role, and the youth of the early cold war grew up in constant fear. GI Joe helped to quell these fears and send a positive message. A GI Joe program of today would have a much different message. While there was always a conventional enemy in the old program, there is no clear enemy today. Furthermore there would be an unintentional, all be it accurate racial theme. Cobra, while encompassing many races was predominantly white, [like the Russians] a GI Joe program of today would have to portrait a Cobra force of middle eastern appearance. This message might not be what one would like to portrait, and might detract from GI Joe image.
ReplyDeleteGI Joe was a very well televised series during the 80s geared specifically toward the younger generations of the time. It was meant to show the children some of the aspects of the cold war. In some ways it also acted as a warning so some children that they should be careful in what they say an do because they might be tricked by the Communists which in the case of GI Joe was Cobra inc. times change and world politics change. The cold war is over and the Berlin Wall has been down since 1989. The issues now are terrorism and attacks from within our own country. I agree that the show must change in order to fit with the current events of the world but there are several key aspects that need to be taken into account. First being race, today’s world is much more careful when issues of race are being discussed. For this reason we cannot brand all people from the Middle East as terrorists, as the earlier show did with the Russians. We should also continue to show children what to do during an emergency so they can be safe and warn others if they see something they think is wrong. They must however be careful not to cross the line making the show proproganda for war as the original show can some times easily be mistaken for.
ReplyDeleteGI Joe was an important and influential program in the 80’s and some what in to the early 90’s. Mostly every boy wanted to be like GI Joe. As we look back GI Joe whole surrounding was around the cold war, it had man things that were important in the educating the youth and there security. But when it came to the youth they where afraid about the cold war and had no idea of what was going on, but the GI Joe showed even though it was a little to violence in that age it showed that you had nothing to be afraid about the cold war and that GI Joe would always come out on top and that no body could mess with the US. But after every showing it would have a positive message for the youth. During the time of the episode it depicted Russia as Cobra and really there was no race, and no clear enemy, but in today war if we where to show it again the cobra would be depicted as a Middle Eastern depiction. But airing a show like they did back in the 80’s would be hard you don’t want to cross the line and people might take it the wrong way and just say its Americas way of showing propaganda and would depict it the wrong way
ReplyDeleteI agree with Steve in that there should be a show about what is happening in the Middle East that the children can relate to. Something that shows that they are living in a powerful country that is trying to do the right thing for the world in spite of all the opposition from various parties. I also think that we can send a message to the youth of America that they are safe in their beds at night because there are people out there fighting for justice. I also think we can do this with out treding to far over the propaganda line. When it comes to the portrayal of the enemy in the new show we must be very careful because of the issues surrounding racial comments and stereotyping. A show that met requirements such as these would be influential to the youth of America to let them know what is happening in the world while providing an interesting back round story.
ReplyDeleteGI Joe is a classic American program that portrays the U.S. military in a positive light. It was easy then to steer clear of placing ethnic minorities in positions that threaten the United States. When you talk about the war on terror the stereotypical person that comes to mind is a person of Middle Eastern decent. However, not everyone of Middle Eastern decent is a terrorist. If there were to be a Middle Eastern terrorist in the show there would be public out cry not only from the Middle East but also from people of Middle Easter decent living in the United States. Also, by doing this you are teaching children at a young age that anyone that looks like the bad guy on television is a bad guy in reality. The message of GI Joe must change from a message of war to a message of keeping an eye out. There is no clearly defined enemy in the war on terror so the show needs to adapt and change to that issue. The show can no longer be used for propaganda against a single enemy it needs to be used as a way to educate the youth about the reality of terrorism.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Zurell that GI Joe can still be used to teach American youth a lesson. I also agree that the show can not brand all people from the Middle East as terrorist. I also agree that the world today is much more sensitive to issues of race than it was before. Instead the show should tell children what to do in the case of an emergency. The show should also teach children to keep an eye out for unusual occurrences. I also agree that teaching children to warn others is a good idea. I also agree that the threat is different now than it was back in the 80’s. Propaganda should play less of a role in the GI Joe of today. Teaching children that the U.S. is a strong country is important, but teaching them how to be safe is also important.
ReplyDeleteI unfortuanetly was never an avid GI Joe watcher and learned pretty much everything i know about the show today during our class period. The only other thing i did know has been pointed out in everybody's post that this was an influential cartoon produced in the 80's. I feel that GI Joe seems to have already done a decent job in portraying the environment as it was back than so as to make it fit into the new global environment would not be that difficult and might actually be worthwile. I am not saying that we need to portray all middle eastern people as terrorists but in some way show that the idea of terrorism is scary and real. This show also has the ability to educate the children on how to hand crisis situations and what to do in particular events. This era of GI Joe may bring some more peace to the minds of the audience that although terrorism is real we do not need to fear as it has done in its earlier episodes.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Flood and Zurell that GI JOe can be used to educate the children watching it much like it was back in its prominent years, and that we can not brand all middle eastern people as terrorists. This would send a terrible message to our young children especially considering that we are brought up in a country born on the ideas of equal rights for all and race is a touchy subject. This would be a good idea to have the show educate the children on suspicious events that they may not pick out on their own and the typical protocol they should go about if they see these events, that is a really good idea i did not think about but am glad these two pointed it out. I think that the most important thing this cartoon could teach is the safety lesson because in the end thats all that really matters. Good Talk
ReplyDeleteIn this situation, I’m hoping you are referring to the “U.S Military” in the cartoon…as far as I know, it’s not an Army program. However if we were going to “educate GI Joe”, I would say the first thing would be to bring it into the 21st century, and make the show more realistic and in touch with today’s youth. The villain would definitely best be terrorists, not neccarily Middle-eastern terrorist, (however they make up most of the world’s terrorists) but some terrorist organization. (Maybe a bunch or blue evil super-smurfs?) Although a moral lesson should probably be included, maybe make it more a part of the show, not an “after show” like in the old cartoon. It is very important to conform GI Joe to all kinds of children (all races) and for the children to be able to cope with and understand these characters. That makes the lesson easier to learn/understand, and also makes the children more likely to pay attention
ReplyDeleteI’m going to disagree with Jeremy, in the way that we shouldn’t have a “show about the middle east.” I also think that, which ever side we set the politics of such a show, it would be “too far over the line” and would be influential in a bad way, whichever political side it went to. It is important to give children political-neutral or absent shows, and giving them general morals and values instead. It is important to let them grow into their own political beliefs based of their learned morals and values, and a show with any type of political reference will inhibit this from happening.
ReplyDeleteI also feel that there should not be a show about the Middle East. I see where Jeremy is coming from in that it is important for children to understand what is happening in the world today. The Middle East is one of the most important issues facing the world today but a children's television program is not the best way to educate children. I agree with Thomas in that it would be hard to create such a show without it being predudice in one way or another. No matter what the show was like, there would be plenty of people upset with it. Children do need to know about current events but they need to find their method of education elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteI think that if you were going to educate GI Joe so that he fits intot he new global environment of terrorism, you wouldn't have to do much. I already think that the GI Joe from the 80's was doing a great job of portraying the environment, the show already portrayed many terrorist groups trying to take over the world one way or another. I mean Cobra is a great example of that. We had problems with terrorists in the 80's, just not as bad as today. I don't think that GI Joe is a great "teaching" program for children, it's violent and unrealistic.
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with Steve. I don't believe that there should be a television show about what is happening in the Middle East. Children cannot relate to that, and isn't that what the new's is for? Isn't there enough violence on television for children to view. I don't think that children are the right audience for a program like that. Also, depicting Middle Eastern people as terrorists on a program like GI Joe I think is a bad idea. Although there are many terrorists who are Middle Eastern, I think it would be wrong to show a program depicting certain ethnicities as terrorists to young, impressionable minds. It is to easy to mold their young minds at an early age to judge people based on their ethnicity.
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