By Spencer Michlin, KERA 90.1 commentator
Dallas, TX – Recently the New York Times covered a convention of GI Joe enthusiasts near San Francisco. The story held particular interest for me because I wrote Joe's theme song, "A Real American Hero," back in 1981.
But my relationship with the guy actually began in the late 60's when I wouldn't allow my two sons to play with "war toys," especially those 11-1/2" original Joes. It didn't take them long to teach me that if you forbid boys to play with toy guns they'll simply use their fingers or sticks. A concurrent attempt at encouraging vegetarianism was similarly thwarted by a combination of natural instinct, market forces and youthful persistence.
By the time I was asked to write the song for the re-launch of the new 3-3/4" Joes, I had acquired sufficient ethical flexibility to seize the opportunity with a Kung Fu grip. The song was originally written for commercials for the toy. Soon the small soldiers marched their way onto an animated series that still can be seen on the Cartoon Network every day, into a couple of movies and then around the world. To this day, I get small royalty checks from every continent, although my favorite was one indicating that the song had played in the background during an episode of "Friends."
A Real American Hero. As a uniquely American cultural icon, GI Joe is pretty hard to beat. Completely unconflicted as to his purpose: to quote fight for freedom wherever there's trouble. He's done so with courage, skill, brains and a certain earthy humor on the large and small screens and in three-dimensional form on countless carpets, breakfast bars and tree house floors.
Does he reflect all that we've recently observed in our fighting men and women? Pretty damn well. Does he reflect the national zeitgeist? Much as the current administration might wish it, that's where it gets a little tricky.
Joe was born in 1964 and flourished throughout the Vietnam War. But his fortunes have waxed and waned equally through both peace and war. Although some social historians have said that he was discontinued in 1978 because of America's disillusionment with Vietnam and also, somehow, because of Watergate, the guys at Hasbro who make Joe say that it was because of the rising price of plastic. I say that it probably has as much to do with the life cycle of toys. He thrived again when he was reintroduced in a smaller size in relatively peaceful 1982, partly because, instead of walking around with one expensive doll - and face it, a boys' doll is what the foot-tall Joe was - kids were now able to collect entire standing armies at a smaller individual price and a much greater aggregate cost to parents and profit to Hasbro. But his popularity actually diminished during the first Gulf War, once again I say because the toy had run its cycle.
It appears to be frustratingly and immutably in the nature of boys to play games involving guns and war. I'm aware that this is unattractive just as I'm aware that, in civilian life, this love of guns has had horrible consequences for our society. But the lessons of "Bowling For Columbine" are, for me, tempered by funny memories of my futile efforts to prevent my sons from playing with war toys. Just as my distaste for our present military adventures is leavened with admiration for the real heroes who carry them out.
I guess that, at every age, in every age, we need heroes.
Spencer Michlin is a writer from Dallas. If you have opinions or rebuttals to this commentary, call (214) 740-9338 or through our website at kera.org.