The Rise of G.I. Joe

GI Joe’s presence in the action figures aisle has been hardly noticeable amidst the scores of superheroes and wrestlers, but believe us, he’s every bit as muscled up and now comes with huge weaponry. Over a year ago we wrote that Joe’s only hope for survival was to star in his own TV show, video games, and movies, since today’s action figures are now simply marketing tie-ins rather than stand-alone toys that encourage boys to develop their own story lines for playtime. So that’s what Joe’s marketers have done — TV, video games, and now The Rise of Cobra. But it’s a PG-13 movie with “strong sequences of action violence and mayhem throughout.” In other words, it isn’t something five and six year old boys who love the dolls should go to. But just as we predicted, the marketing for the movie will reach far and wide so that grown men will want to see the action and the tiniest tykes will be begging to watch their doll (oops, excuse us, their “action figures”) come to life. That’s because the same action-packed ads that grab adults will be shown incessantly in places that the smallest kids go. And just today we see that our friends at Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood are on top of this. Good for them. They write that since March over 3000 ads for violent PG-13 movies have been aired during children’s programming. We’re sure some fast food place will be giving out miniature Joe dolls too, and no doubt just to the boys. Do sign the CCFC petition to stop advertising PG-13 movies to little kids. And if your little boy looks up to soldiers and wants a G.I. Joe doll, talk to him about the bravery and also the fear real soldiers sometimes feel, the every day (nonsteroidal looking) guys in uniform who have families and friends who love and miss them, and the peace-keeping force work that a lot of soldiers do for the good of all. Tell him because the media won’t — not enough bombing, maiming, or shooting action in that, is there?