This is not my advertisement, but I certainly remember the ad from when I was a kid, and my brother had this exact same GI Joe!
Of course I own a GI Joe today, and I’ve designed some attractive clothing for him, which you can find on this page, on ChellyWood.com.
Before I dive into this ad and what it means to me, I need to make my required affiliate marketing statement. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. To learn more about how affiliate marketing works on my website, please go to the Privacy Policy page. Thank you!
Now as I’ve said, my brother had the Kung Fu Grip GI Joe when we were kids, and I had Mod Hair Ken, as seen in the brochure image above. To some extent, I envied my brother because I thought GI Joe‘s beard looked a lot more realistic than Mod Ken‘s moustaches and beards!
GI Joe seemed more masculine to me, which I found appealing, and he was super articulated, at a time when articulated fashion dolls really weren’t a thing yet. Barbie could move at the neck, the waist (sometimes), shoulder joints, and hips, and her knees would bend with a click.
But Ken was even less articulated. I didn’t own a Ken that would move at the waist until well into adulthood, so as a child playing with Ken, he always looked awkward when he danced with Barbie, holding their hands way above their heads while gripping Barbie’s waist at a weird angle.
There were some playtime frustrations with this. “Come on, Ken,” I would say during playtime, “can’t you just hold her hand like a normal boyfriend?”
When GI Joe came out, oh my gosh! Of course I tried to pair him up with Barbie when my brother wasn’t looking.
But to my disappointment, the original GI Joe was a little too short for Barbie. Yes, he could grip her waist with his Kung Fu hands, which were awesome! He could hold her hand awkwardly like a guy on his first date, all gushy and romantic, but ugh… He was so short!
Of course today I’ve got nothing against a short guy with a Kung Fu grip! Hee hee hee!
I guess I’ve matured a bit. As a grown woman, I understand that what you want in a man is the romance! Take me dancing! Hold my hand in public! That’s what makes a man worth keeping. (It helps if he can change my oil and open a jar of pickles too.)
But height? Meh. Who cares how tall he is? I certainly don’t.
What are your memories of GI Joe? And who do you think makes the best dance partner for Barbie? Ken or GI Joe? Please leave a comment!
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For anyone who would like to expand their dolls’ wardrobes, you should really check out my “How to Alter Doll Clothes Patterns” course and my “Design Your Own Doll Pants Patterns from Scratch” classes on the Creative Spark online learning platform. Here’s my bio page on their website, where you can learn more.
For any class on Creative Spark, you don’t have to follow a schedule. Just sign up when you’re ready.
It’s a one-time fee for the course, and there’s no specific time limit to finish your course. You can just take your time and learn at the pace that suits you. So go check out my paid courses on Creative Spark, using this link.
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Disclaimer/Credit/Affiliate Marketing Link:
*Please note: when you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include Amazon, JoAnn Fabric, Etsy, and the eBay Partner Network. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. To learn more about how my website uses affiliate marketing, please visit the website’s Privacy Policy page.
Chelly Wood and the ChellyWood.com website are not affiliated with any of the doll or toy companies mentioned in this blog post, but Chelly enjoys designing her doll clothes to fit a variety of dolls. To learn more about the doll companies mentioned in today’s post, please visit the doll or toy company’s website.