An Interpretation of the Symbolic Features of the GI Joe Action Figure Twelve years ago the generation of today's young adults were enthralled with the endless hours of fun they got from their GI Joe action figures. Wild scenes, battles, and situations they created ran their day and formed their thoughts of the ideal man. GI Joe's physical build was looked upon as the perfect male body, with a muscular, suave look and a brave and violent temperament. This stereotypical property is a downside to the figure since it molds the views of young children in this negative way. The GI Joe was a very important piece in many young boys' lives. It was an outlet for a child's creativity and imagination, which is one of the most important factors that mold a child into a grown adult. GI Joes's symbolized the general census of the public that men should be physically strong and brave in physical encounters. Young boys saw the muscular build of the action figures and related that to the optimal shape that a man's body should be. GI Joe's are similar to Barbie dolls in many ways. Although GI Joe's did not come under as much criticism as the Barbie doll, the two important characteristics of the figures are the same. Both figures promote the stereotypical image of the male/female body and both figures characteristics promote the stereotypical actions of how one should act as a member of that gender. Each day of his life a young boy is learning and forming the ideals he will follow later in life. The appearance of a tall, perfectly proportional, and muscular figure molds a young boy's belief of what the perfect man should look like. The same characteristic is true about the actions that GI Joe's were expected to carry out. GI Joe's were fearless, brave men whose mission in life was violence. When young boys played with these figures, this was usually the common role their concocted scenes would fall under. Violence and death, sounds like a pretty bad principle to instill in the minds of young boys. If one thinks about the general stereotype of the census we see that men have always been forced into these enduring roles. Even today the two characteristics demonstrated by GI Joe are prevalent. As each day progresses these characteristics are being challenged. Now more than ever the age-old beliefs of what is expected of man and woman are being redefined for a new world.
During the Vietnam Conflict, many Americans held a poor view of the military and its political and military leadership. Protestors met returning soldiers at airports, train and bus stations, and in hometowns with open hostility. Following the conflict, and perhaps the maturing of the ‘60s generation, the view towards the military began to change somewhat. The hostility declined, but an appreciation for the military never really re-emerged during the ...
It has been happened frequently in today’s society that parents and teachers try to keep children away from violent media. Children are taught that violent is not right and dangerous. In the article, “Violent Media Is Good for Kids”, Gerard Jones asserts that allowing children to violent media instead of banned it can bring great benefit to children during their growing stage. By watching violent media, children learn to overcome fear, control the rage and prove the real self from the superheroes in the story. Jones believes that violent entertainment can assistance children to fulfill emotional and development need. In my opinion, Jones develops a persuasive argument because of his strong emotions, considerable evidences and reasonable assumptions.
In “Violent Media is Good for Kids” Gerard Jones introduces us to his fearful and lonesome childhood. He lived in a world where he was taught to be the violence fearing, and passive boy his parents wanted him to be. But, when one of his mother’s students gave him a Marvel comic book, his fearfulness was transformed into inspiration. He found a way to escape these discouraging feelings through the “stifled rage and desire for power” (Jones 285) that he had newly found. The popular comic book hero “The Hulk” freed him from his passive and lonely persona. Throughout the article he cites his testimonies and the testimonies of others as examples; and shows how they used violence as a positive realm for “overcoming powerlessness.” (Jones 287) Ultimately, Jones is trying to convey the message that violent media can provide kids with psychological tools for coping with the problems that they face as they grow. Although there are slight hints of biased evidence, “Violent Media is Good for Kids” should be considered for the top prize for persuasive essays.
Prior to war and the passage of the GI Bill the average American could only dream about college and owning a home. Designed to be used for college, technical or vocational courses, apprenticeship/on-the-job ship/on-the-job training, certificate programs, flight training and correspondence courses and home loan guaranty, the GI Bill has been credited with establishing the foundation of today’s middle class. By 1984, when the GI Bill was revamped, 7.8 World War II Veterans had participated in education or vocational training programs. The updated program became known as the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB), after former Mississippi Congressman Gillespie V. “Sonny” Montgomery. His goal was to continue education programs and the VA home loan guaranty for the latest as well as, future generations ...
In his short story, “The Things They Carried,” Tim O’Brien demonstrates the depressing change of a soldier from imaginative boy to impersonal man, adolescent to adult, and lover to leader. The terrible burdens pile so high on the young men that “certainly they would never be at a loss for things to carry.” The harsh reality of the world tremendously affects Cross and forever changes him. Through this transition, O’Brien reveals the strict and dismal standards which culture upholds for men to be firm and unwavering.
Go to Starbucks and order a caramel latte from a Navy seal. Training in the armed forces never prepared him for this challenge. He doesn’t have the right stuff to make a latte! In Tom Wolfe’s The Right Stuff, Wolfe addresses modern American heroes fabricated into idols for public consumption. So-called “Average Joes” idolize people dubbed as “heroes” because they serve a purpose deemed greater than the common man’s. Individuals base heroism on a level of almost godlike standards, and sometimes blatantly ignore the notion that their heroes have weaknesses. A hero possesses a manufactured set of abilities, and also a renowned prestige, whether or not they truly warrant the pedestal on which society places them above any other working class civilian.
As Garbarino recognizes, the effects of war and such violence is something that sticks with a child and remains constant in their everyday lives. The experiences that children face involving war in their communities and countries are traumatic and long lasting. It not only alters their childhood perspectives, but it also changes their reactions to violence over time. Sadly, children are beginning to play more of a major role in wars in both the United States and other countries.... ...
The story “Hero” by Joe W. Haldeman raises a few significant questions concerning the impact of technological change and how it affects the ethical/moral nature of warfare. This story presents the reader with a specific setting, which fuels further thought into the technological implications regarding the change at a humanistic level. The nature of ethical questions raised are impactful to the story given how the mechanical suits change my point of view on how the soldiers are portrayed throughout their training. Furthermore, these suits blur the lines between the human and mechanical aspect of the warfare. The story offers a unique and distinct approach to present the characters’ humanistic ethical values while they deal with the technological
The time spend in the military service helps the narrator establish personal characteristics which enable him to understand the world around him and be more successful in life. Being in the military has given him th...
...port my beliefs about the changing social attitudes toward Vietnam veterans. As the writing process continues, I plan to gather more research materials such as new books and articles. The social attitudes towards Vietnam veterans has proven to be an extremely interesting subject to me and I hope that through my discussion of these views, my audience will gain a new understanding of some of the bravest and most heroic men of the century.
Support Thesis #1/Sub Claim #1: While WWII soldiers had similar physical capabilities, very few unique men who had the mental might like Louis Zamperini, had an advantage in fighting the horrors of imprisonment in Japanese POW camps.
Nevertheless, despite America's desire for goodness and virtue in her leadership, it appears that she does not always accept these with open arms. There is still the need to sacrifice inspiration to toughness, to sacrifice plain-speaking to intellectual agility which can expose the weaknesses of another, and to sacrifice gentleness in order to create a feeling of security based on power.
Scott, Cord. “Comics and Conflict: War and Patriotically Themed Comics in American Cultural History from World War II through the Iraq War.” Dissertations. Loyola University, Chicago. 2011. Web. 3 December 2013.
Throughout the emergence of the Vietnam war {and military draft}, many innocent people were inducted and taken from their homes to fight in alien territory. A few significant individuals, however, managed to take a stand and refuse the government’s orders. Two texts that exhibit this difficult time are Muhammad Ali’s “The Greatest: My Own Story” and an interview of John Strickland. Both Ali and Strickland experience criticism and reveal a determined state of mind as they oppose the war and induction. Each man faces the same conflict, and their perspectives prove to be similar.
Adolescence boys should be given tools such as critical thinking to understand how media depicts the ideal male body. Parents should lead the effort by not only encouraging their young boys becoming emotionally strong but also explaining to them the social and economic purpose behind the media push of unachievable lean muscularity. Thus enlightening boys that media maintain the drive to serve its business affiliates like fitness or beauty industries (John and Jeong 39). In addition, schools should teach adolescent boys to be actively engaged in conservation about their body image and how media portrays it. The discussion will allow boys to become more media-literate and will enhance their thoughtful recognition of the feigned male image presented in the