Merrick here...


I'm kind of surprised no one's posted about there here on AICN.

When I first started hearing about this, I stepped back to let other people handle it because, frankly, I don't know enough about G.I. Joe to be able to offer a particularly insightful opinion.

However, we're getting quite a bit of mail about the matter...and Fox News has an article that encapsulates the shitstorm quite proficiently...so I'll simply refer you to the following:

Paramount has confirmed that in the movie, the name G.I. Joe will become an acronym for "Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity" — an international, coed task force charged with defeating bad guys. It will no longer stand for government issued, as in issued by the American government.

...says THIS ARTICLE at Fox News, which goes on to indicate:

The word is that in the current political climate, they're afraid that a heroic U.S. soldier won't fly.

(sigh) As if the project didn't already have a big enough hurdle to leap with Stephen Sommers directing. And now this?

Okay, so I don't know a lot about G.I. JOE...but this isn't exactly what I think of when the name comes to mind. I think the toy line is pretty frickin' cool, though, and I remember the jingle used to sell them when I was growing up:

"G.I. Jooooooeeeeee - A real American hero!"

Hmmm. Guess we're not allowed to have heroes anymore? By implication, as Americans, we should be too embarrassed to have heroes? Are The Powers That Be suggesting the world won't allow Americans to have heroes these days? Everybody should have a hero.

Too bad...seems to me we could use some good heroes in times like these. Wonder how they'll sell the toy line when such changes to the concept are factored in?

Ah, well (shrugs)...

Frankly, I've been dying for a remake of MEGAFORCE for a long, long time. Sounds like this pretty much what the new G.I. JOE movie's gonna be. If so, they should just go ahead and change the name or something, ya know?

I want that soundtrack!