Watching this clip gives me some warm fuzzies since I loved everything about G.I. Joe growing up. It was my all time favorite cartoon for about 3 years straight and I had every action figure I could get my hands on.
To this day I still remember begging my mom to take me from store to store… hoping, waiting, anxious to find my favorite character – Storm Shadow – only to be disappointed that he was sold out. However, on some random Tuesday afternoon – I found him – the only one left in what appeared to be an empty G.I. Joe toy section at Target. This was back in 1984. That’s why I love Target. You can’t go wrong with Target. =)
I digress… what I learned from a very young age about G.I. Joe is that there is good and evil. Good being G.I. Joe, the REAL American heroes – Evil being Cobra, a ruthless organization determined to rule the world. In fancier words, great stories all have the protagonist (good) and antagonist (evil) or a problem/solution throughline. See in earlier post about the Sherlock story approach.
So what can we learn from Cobra? Antagonists create great tension. They are what keep you engaged. They build emotion, anger, frustration within you. They get you disturbed. That’s how they add value.
So what can we learn from G.I. Joe? Protagonists are the heroes. They are what also keep you engaged. They make you happy, satisfied, and fulfilled. You can live vicariously through them. They bring you joy. That’s how they add value.
You need both to make a great story and a great presentation.
