Knowing is Half the Podcast: The G.I. Joe Cartoon Recap Show

[maeve_of_winter]

 Several months ago, when looking for podcasts about nostalgic cartoons, I stumbled upon this podcast about G.I. Joe. Despite knowing nothing about the franchise beyond the Channing Tatum movie, I decided to give the series a shot, and I'm definitely glad I did.

What is G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero? Preppies of the Apocalypse put it best in her review of the episode of “The Gamesmaster”:

“Usually at this point in one of these analyses, I’d take a bit of a detour to give everyone some background info about the show, maybe a broad overview of the plot, perhaps a quick rundown of the primary characters. I’m not going to bother with that this time, because… look, it’s a cartoon designed to sell action figures to small children. There are no subtle plot nuances that are going to be too tricky for G.I. Joe novices to follow. Here’s all you need to know: The bad guys are the members of the terrorist organization Cobra, led by the power-mad yet totally incompetent Cobra Commander, and the good guys are the Joes, members of an elite military organization dedicated to taking down Cobra. It has a huge cast of surprisingly well-developed characters (more characters = more action figures), and while jingoistic American exceptionalism always makes me a little queasy, particularly when packaged as entertainment for kids, the show is a hoot.”

Before I go on, some links:

Knowing is Half the Podcast (newer episodes)

Knowing is Half the Podcast (older episode archive)

Preppies of the Apocalypse: "Skeletons in the Closet" Episode Review

The 10 Most Bizarre G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Episodes

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero: The Five Most Insane Episodes

“Knowing is Half the Podcast” is ostensibly a recap show for the 1980’s Sunbow production of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, but it’s far more than a mere summary of events. The podcast examines every aspect of the episodes, from the dialogue, to the animation, to the voice-acting. I think what I like best about KIHTP is that hosts are an active audience, constantly questioning the writing, wondering about character choices, and pondering A Real American Hero’s direction. Best of all, humor is a huge part of the analysis, enhancing enjoyability and approachability. But given how absolutely bonkers the average G.I. Joe episode is (see above), you need to have a good sense of humor to not only watch the show, but build a podcast around watching the show.

KIHTP is hosted by a wacky but wonderful trio: the cynical Chan, the enthusiastic Ray, and the effervescent Gina. I appreciate that each one of them represents a different viewpoint the audience might have.

Ray operates on genuine love of the franchise and unhesitatingly embraces the show as presented, which helps when he explains the more confusing or obscure tidbits of canon.

Gina is a relative newcomer to the franchise, which not only demonstrates A Real American Hero’s accessibility, but also lets her interpret characters without bias. Her creativity and inquisitiveness provide many alternate explanations for plots, as well as expansions on characters, that most certainly would have gone unexplored without her participation.

Last but certainly not least is Chan, a realist who portrays the viewer’s willing suspension of disbelief and is not afraid to point out the absurdity of plot and character decisions in various episodes.

Systematically summarizing and analyzing each episode of GI Joe, the three provide interesting interpretations of characters such as Wild Bill, Duke, and Shipwreck. They also helpfully added a “Know Your Joe” segment where they discuss the personalities, attributes, talents, and flaws of the many characters.

Even if you don’t know the first thing about G.I. Joe and don’t particularly want to, I recommend giving this podcast a shot. It’s a fun, wonderful romp through an absolutely bizarre television series that was built around selling toys to young children.