G. I. Joe (or Action Man as I knew him in my boyhood) is to finally be relieved of the unbearable burden of being an American. According to Variety:G. I. Joe is now a Brussels-based outfit that stands for Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity, an international co-ed force of operatives who use hi-tech equipment to battle Cobra, an evil organization headed by a double-crossing Scottish arms dealer.
He works out of Belgium and he fights evil Scotsmen? Fair enough. It's not as if we're at war or anything.
Or as if G. I. Joe was ever a real person.
It's simple. Americans cannot be portrayed as heroic. Moviemakers simply cannot make themselves do that. It is physically impossible for a screenwriter to write a pro-American script, or for an actor to utter pro-American lines.
ReplyDeleteIn about three years, tops, some studio -- possibly in India -- will make a kick-ass, flag-waving, terrorist-killin' movie, and it will make more money than anyone can conceive of.
Trimegistus
But... that film has already been created. Team America: World Police, anyone?
ReplyDeleteIt has all of the above, and it's hilarious to boot.
I wonder if "Belgium" is a rude word in the HGttG universe due to Belgium causing 10 million deaths in the 'Belgen Congo'.
ReplyDeleteTo defend a hill alone against
ReplyDelete2 000
enemy soldiers was indeed a great act of heroism back when America was a land of happy civilians.
But today, when America is choking poor countries with her giant companies and has satellite supervision over the entire planet, this would cease to be heroic and would become a fanatic monstrosity.
Much like with the heroes of USSR.
But America still hasn't broken down.