I was up last night watching the Cartoon Network (I know, if Adult Swim isn't on there is no reason anyone over the age of 14 should be watching Cartoon Network, but work with me here) and G.I. Joe came on. The show was from the "creating new characters for cool new toys" phase of the mid-Eighties, when artistic integrity had been forgotten, and tits-and-ass ruled (okay I made that part up...or did I?)
Anyway, I noticed two things (among others): The episode I was watching had "Serpentor" (supposedly created from the DNA of every badass of history, but forced to wear a gay suit nonetheless) berating the Cobra high command while some "being" ransacked their headquarters. I may have mentioned it before, but when this creature pierced through Cobra's fences, the sound effect was unmistakably lifted from a light saber duel (to my ears, probably Luke and Vader's at the end of "Empire"). At first I thought "George Lucas would be pissed!", but then I realized that Hasbro (GI Joe's parent company) also manufactured Star Wars toys, thus Georgie boy must probably get paid handsomely every time that episode is rerun.....or maybe not
Anyway, the second thing I noticed: There was a LOT of sexual tension between Cobra Commander (he of the glass helmet) and Destro (a refugee from the Village People in a steel mask). They're always bickering like an old married couple, you have to wonder whether their past was any happier. Did they stroll through Paris, hand in hand, planning their sure-to-fail schemes for world domination? Destro seems like the spurned type, as if CC decided an open relationship would only be a detriment to his evil empire and made Destro his "honorary bitch" second in command. You'll notice how Destro is always first to criticize Cobra Commander, yet he never has his heart in overthrowing the old drama queen. It's sweet that Hasbro would think to put such a positive face on homosexuality in the midst of the Reagan Era........
Okay, maybe I need to stop staying up so late.....
