Well if I had to pick one show that really stuck out in my mind as being dumb, it would have to be G.I.Joe, and there are a number of reasons as to why:
1. First off the Ruthless Terrorist Organization Angle. Let's face it, today's terrorists may not be as sophisticated as COBRA was, but still think about it, an organization of Terrorists. I really think back in the 1980's the word "Terrorist" was supposed to mean "Organized Terrorism" yet in today's world you have groups like Al Qaeda who just randomly target anyone.. Not just the free people of the world but anyone in particular, even if they are of the same religious/cultural backgrounds. But in COBRA's case, it was always, the folks who were Democratic and who's Free Governments that got targeted.. and that in itself defeats the term.. "Terrorist". COBRA was more of a Dictatorial Army of WWII Times, not today's modern terrorists who still are using backwater basics to keep folks in check. (Can we say 'Suicide bomber'? I knew we could!)
2. Then there's my favorite pet peeve of G.I Joe. You can destroy billions of dollars of tech, and yet NO ONE dies! Yep watch that F-15 Strike Eagle get blown out of the sky.. Watch as that Modified A-10 COBRA Rattler gets sshot down, but amazingly the pilot is able to eject out of the flaming wreckage! and of course watch as the Joe's blow up perhaps some of the most whacked out weapons (The Weather Dominator), known to man. (Heck that's why they originally made Weather Modification Illegal!)
3. Romance isn't supposed to be in the military..(Now granted if you're an military personnel, you're supposed to have a family worrying about you.. but the whole Duke/Scarlett thing, as well as the Lady Jaye/Flint thing seemed.. I dunno.. A bit contrived? and then don't forget the Baroness and Destro... Those two were MADE for each other!
Let's face it even in the G.I. Joe Movie, you had one guy (Flynt's younger Brother) crushing on a girl (Jynx).
And what about Mainframe and Zartanna? Oy.. if the phrase "Make Love Not War" was the catchphrase, well I would say Mainframe and Zartanna were the "Poster Children" who showed how it was supposed to be. He's the smart intelligent geek from the Good Guys, She's the bad girl disguise expert from the bad side of the tracks.. and they're in LOVE! (Oy...)
4. Next we have the 'this PSA was brought to you by all the G.I. Joe character bit'.. Frankly putting in a PSA at the end of any show is a bad idea.. Why? Because in the case of G.I. Joe, knowing the dangers was half the battle.. Yet a lot of times during the show, we had folks rushing blindly into battle not knowing what the evildoers were doing before they got halfway through the episode, and only then it was because of something way stupid. Like arrogance..
and finally:
5. When Wrestlers make Cameos as soldiers. Two words... Sgt. Slaughter.. Let's face it this guy was the wrestling federation's answer to the military? Oy..I would expect to see The Iron Shiek working with COBRA... after all seeing Sgt Slaughter Putting the Iron Shiek in a Head lock in the wrestling ring is one thing. Seeing Sgt. Slaughter putting Destro in a headlock and giving Chrome dome a Noogie? Totally stupid, and laughable at best. It's almost like we could have renamed this show, WWE Super slam against Terrorism...
In closing what Can I say about G.I. Joe? If the G.I Joe military was like it is today, when this series came out, There would be a total disbanding of Military on the grounds of a number of reasons..and thus in a way, COBRA would rule the world.. After all, G.I. Joe even though it's fantasy, really never showed the Military in a positive light.. and if COBRA was that bad? That the Joes could take them out easily?
Heck we could have gotten a certain evil dictator out of power.. way back in 1991. But then again.. we were always a bit overconfident.. even when dealing with so called Ruthless Terrorist organizations.
But eh, That's G.I. Joe for you..a total illogical approach to the look on today's military and socio-political ideologies.. (Oh and one final thing... Laser Rifles? Heck they're still in development... even today).
:coyote: