"He-Man: Master of the Universe"

     During my youth there were two cartoons that served as commercials for toys. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was one. G.I. Joe was the other. I acknowledge the existence of other cartoons and corresponding action figures but these were the big two (my apologies to fans of the transformers). I believe that the show which was viewed by a child has greatly influenced the manner of young adult he or, in the very rare case, she has grown up to be.

     The actions figures which were sold in conjunction with G.I. Joe stood a paltry three inches high. Their arms were like toothpicks and their faces nondescript. The only thing that varied from one Joe to another was the color of the uniform and every once in awhile the size of the gun they carried. (We won't get into what that was all about.)

     He-Man action figures are the most perfect opposite of this. They towered down from a frightening height of five inches or more. Their arms were massive collections of well-toned plastic. Each He-Man figure was different from the next in a bevy of ways. Not only did the color of their armor and clothes vary but the very type of armor and clothing varied. The heads of He-Man figures came in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. And, in the case of Skunk Man, the smell even varied. The He-Man figures each had their own personality.

     Now how does this dramatic paradox affect the average male soon entering his twenties? The G.I. Joe viewer has been conditioned from a very young age to place state before individual. There was no individual in the G.I. Joe universe. There were troops who fought against each other over land. The psychological mindset of the former G.I. Joe watcher now is one of submission. He will believe that the higher-ups will take care of him and choose his battles. In fact his very idea of life revolves around the battles of the group rather than his own personal struggles. Honestly, name a character in the G.I. Joe chronicles who had a background story more than just; "Bob was drafted and joined the most elite fighting force in the land".

     The very title of the He-Man cartoon presents a much different hierachy and lifestyle. The show follows not only He-Man but the other Masters of the Universe as well. He-Man cartoons are focused on personal stories of the characters. Not all the battles were fought because tactical warfare demanded it to be fought. Personal missions of daring in order to save something of personal value to a character also existed. The type of young adult this creates is a person striving to be a Master of the Universe (because if you're not, you don't get onto the show). He is motivated to take up arms for himself and he will always place himself before what the ruling powers that be may have in mind, because after all, Skeletor may have replaced the King with an evil doppleganger.

     Children who grew up on He-Man (like myself) have simply developed into better human beings. They are more likely to be motivated, free-thinkers. G.I. Joe viewers are mindless cattle waiting to be led. In short, He-Man was sophisticated entertainment which helped shape the minds of future revolutionaries and do-gooders. G.I. Joe was propoganda aimed at creating mindless robots who could press one button for hours on end in order to create weak three inch high action figure fodder.