[Ward Smythe]

That's news to G.I. Joe's parent corporation, Hasbro. "G.I. Joe has been a part of our culture for nearly 40 years and represents core American values - patriotism, honor and bravery," said Hasbro spokesperson Audrey DeSimone.

I felt old enough this morning without being reminded that I have an original G.I. Joe (mine since childhood) and an an orginal talking G.I. Joe. I've thought about selling them on Ebay, but my wife keeps telling me I should save them for the boys...

Wish I still had "Johnny West," "Major Matt Mason" and the 200+ "Matchbox" cars I had. I could be a wealthy man...

[Skooz]

When my friends and I played GI Joes, we would often forcibly recruit our sisters' Ken dolls. We would say "He's been drafted," amid much protest. We would put a GI Joe uniform on him and, since he was always the first to be KIA (he being a girly-man), the girls would get him back before our parents were brought in.

That was fun.

[Libertarian_4_eva]

But violent action figures such as G.I. Joe are not role models, said McIntyre. "At one developmental stage, it may just be a doll for the kid, but eventually they may begin to emulate that character and begin to do things that that character does. And, that will include violent action eventually."

How many times do people have to learn that children do not pick up social clues from toys, movies and videogames. They pick up those social cues from parents and other family members. It discusts me to know that parents seem to not understand how powerful they are in their childrens lives.

[Freakazoid]

I loved my Major Matt Mason figures. I had the moonbase, the vehicles...ahhh...I and my friends on NAS Miramar (now MCAS Miramar) spent hundreds of hours (no exaggeration) playing with these toys. G.I. Joe occasionally got into the action but since he was a few inches taller he was often treated as some freaky alien character and dispatched with extreme prejudice.

Don't get me wrong. I loved G.I. Joe too. Our favorate activity was sort of a "Lord of the Flies" type thing where we stripped him down to his skivvies and slid him down a string tied from the tree to the swing-set. Then several screaming, lunatic little boys would throw at him everything we could find as he was sliding down. We could sure frighten some moms with the antics we pulled.

I'm going out and buying my 3-year old a G.I. Joe.

In Your Face, you bedwetting wussies!