Day Nineteen: 1/19/11
New Thing: Play with G .I. Joe Action Figures
Inspiration: Ken (of course!)
Cost: He swears it was not over $20
Time: 15 mins
Bottom Line: I am now a real American Hero
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| We now own this. Sigh. |
Reflection: When I was growing up, my parents were pretty strict about playing with war toys. We were never allowed to watch things that were violent or play with toy guns or anything like that. This is a pretty great policy if you ask me, but it does mean that I do not have a lot of the same cultural references as my peers. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I saw movies like the Goonies, Ghost Busters, Die Hard, and Aliens. Ken, my husband, always likes to point these gaps in my cultural relevancy and today he is going to help me remedy one of those late 80’s early 90’s blind spots of mine—G. I. Joe.
I was in seminary when I saw my first episode of “classic” G. I. Joe at our friends Lindsay and James’ house. I was not prepared for how—for lack of a better word—goofy it was. I don’t really know what I expected from a cartoon that was created for the sole purpose of selling the toys of the same name. But seriously, there is a Pirate G. I. Joe who has a talking parrot!! Come on! On what mission are you ever going to send in the Pirate with the talking parrot?! Answer: None. You will never send that guy in.
Yet, Ken came home with a few clearanced items from the latest’s G. I. Joe wave, and I am going to see what this whole thing is like. I’m going in Sarg! Phew! Phew! (those were the sounds of my laser beams)
PS- I am sure that someone (Ken) will correct me and tell me that he is a sailor and not a pirate--but I think the parrot and eye-patch speak for themselves. (Literally, in the case of the parrot.)
I support that your observations indicate pirate and not sailor.
ReplyDeleteShipwreck, the character you mentioned has a talking parrot- you're right. But he's tough as nails and has seen everything that swims on the high seas. He's just the man for any job! I can't think of when you wouldn't send that guy! Need your boiler fixed? Shipwreck! Need to keep drug lords from assassinating a judge? Shipwreck! Babysitting? Shipwreck!
ReplyDeleteHe's not a pirate. He's a hero. A real American hero.
GI Joe was alright. You need some Transformers though (the real ones) to fully fill in the gaps...
ReplyDeleteWell, I don't know, having raised two sons, but it seems as though keeping two girls from war toys and guns and such like would have been a piece of cake.
ReplyDeleteBut Barbies. Now, wouldn't that be a whole different matter?
Once again I'm afraid that Hillary has decided to.. stretch the truth... to make her point. Oh, let's just call it what it is: Lies and character assassination aimed at one Hector X. Delgado, also known as Shipwreck. And no, I didn't know his name; I had to look it up. And yes, I did know where to go to look it up, but that's just good library science.
ReplyDeleteWhile it is true Shipwreck did pal around with a parrot... he had no eyepatch. The very suggestion is absurd. He's clearly a good Navy man. Parrot yes, eyepatch no. And it's a well-known fact that the Pentagon encouraged animal buddies among the GI Joe team. Spirit had an eagle. Snake Eyes- Snake Eyes!- a wolf. It's good for morale. Hey, there were only three women in the battalion.
For a more accurate portrait of Shipwreck, I really do strongly recommend you go here:
http://www.grave-diggers.com/gijoe.htm
Eye Patch? When did Shipwreck have an eyepatch? Hurumph!
ReplyDeleteMargaret and I are reading G.I. every night before bed, thanks to Andrew (and Ken, maybe). Thanks guys!
ReplyDeleteHAHAHA this is hilarious:)
ReplyDeleteMy brothers always played with the GI joes...but me, being the only girl, was always banned from play:( That's ok....rainbow brite rocks, anyway:)
This is taken verbatim from Shipwreck's personal file. “Shipwreck is your quintessential sailor. He can splice a line, fry powdered eggs in the tooth of a gale and eat them, tell taller tales than a Senate Appropriations committee and take a three day liberty in Thule, Greenland and come back smiling.” ????????????? Do Kids really like jokes about Senate Appropriations committees? Why is he frying powdered eggs and taking the time to eat them in a storm?
ReplyDelete