In the 1970s and 1980s, the ninja became very popular in American pop culture. The ninja appeared in movies, books, and comics. Ninjas were quick and easy villains for heroes to fight. In most cases the hero was White and the ninja was the evil Asian. Eventually, however, popular culture became fascinated with ninjas.  As a result, in addition to being depicted as villains, ninjas were also depicted as heroes who were always White, with many movies, books, and comics adopting the White ninja as the hero and the evil Asian Ninja as the villain.

In the 1980s there several films about the White ninja or White martial artist became very popular, including The Octagon starring American icon Chuck Norris, Enter the Ninja, starring Franco Nero, and The American Ninja starring Michael Dudikoff.  All these films are perfect examples of a White lead actor portraying a heroic martial artist or ninja versus an evil ninja portrayed by an Asian actor. This can also be seen in television through series such as The Master; the two main characters are martial arts heroes played by White actors Lee Van Cleef and Timothy Van Patten. Lastly, this same formula is demonstrated in G.I. Joe comics through the rivalry between the heroic ninja Snake Eyes, who is White, and his arch-nemesis Storm Shadow, who is Asian and employed by the evil terrorist organization COBRA.

Because a characteristic of patriotism is depicting Americans as heroes and foreign countries as evil, using patriotism in the media to depict Americans as good, heroic people provides screenwriters and comic authors a very simple formula for justifying making Asians evil.  This concept became a popular part of American culture, especially the media, in the 1980s, because for forty years prior to the 1980s, America had been at war with Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.  In the 1980’s G.I. Joe universe, because Snake Eyes is a hero associated with a military organization, he becomes a victim of racial stereotyping in the 1980s because it is easier and more marketable to make Snake Eyes White.

  If you look closely at G.I. Joe as a military organization, you can see that Larry Hama, popular G.I. Joe author, created one of the most racially diverse military organizations in comic books, with their ranks including soldiers who are American Indian, Asian, Black, Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic. It is interesting that a very popular comic book and action figure line with many diverse characters and a creator of Asian descent chose to follow the stereotype of American patriotism by depicting Snake Eyes as the heroic White ninja as a fantasy character.   

For many years, Snake Eyes remains White, and eventually, Snake Eyes hits the big screen in G.I Joe: Rise of Cobra and G.I. Joe Retaliation. In both films, Snake Eyes is played by Ray Parks, a White actor. Many fans embraced Ray Park as Snake Eyes because he has an extensive martial arts background.  Additionally, Park has played characters in two other very popular movie franchises. Parks played villains Darth Maul in Star Wars Episode One and Toad in X-Men. Snake Eyes was his first role as a major hero, but he wore a mask in both films and never revealed his face. 

A new Snake Eyes movie is set to be released in theatres in July. The movie is going to focus on a revision of the origin story of Snake Eyes. The original story of Snake Eyes was written over forty years ago by the creator of G.I. Joe, Larry Hama. In the new revisionist tale, Snake Eyes is played by Malaysian actor, Henry Golding. Many G.I. Joe fans are not happy with the decision to cast a person of color to play Snake Eyes and they are making their voice known all over social media, using phrases such as “Not my Snake Eyes,” “Snake Eyes is supposed to have blonde hair and blue eyes,” and “According to the comic book, Snake Eyes is supposed to be White.”  These fans are clearly outraged that their hero is no longer White, even though actor Henry Golding is biracial.  Because he does not look White, his race is being attacked on social media. It is many of the White fans that have labeled him as Asian and unfit to play Snake Eyes.

According to an interview with Henry Golding on Inverse.com, Larry Hama gave his blessing for Golding to play Snake Eyes. According to Golding, “Larry Hama gave us his license to co-create with him the backstory he always wanted to tell.”  Golding continues, “People are like, ‘That’s not his history. He is meant to be White.’ Well, maybe Larry had to do that. Maybe Larry had to make an obvious fish out of water. He had to make him White with the blonde hair and blue eyes.” Even Golding admitted that it is possible when Snake Eyes was created, he had to be White because it was just part of the culture in the 1980s.

It surprised me that, in an age of diversity of inclusion, because of changes in color that shift away from White, there is such an immense hate for a movie that no one has seen, without even giving the actors or actresses of the film a chance to perform for the fans. I am looking forward to seeing the Snake Eyes movie and I hope it does well. As a G.I. Joe fan, I want to thank everyone involved and I am looking forward to being entertained.

It is interesting to note that multiple Japanese films such as The Ring, Godzilla, and The Grudge have been remade in America using White actors as heroes and protagonists, without an outcry of “Not my Godzilla!!” on social media, even though the characters portrayed in those movies were originally Japanese.  According to sociologist and author Robin DiAngelo, white fragility is the defensive reactions that so many White people have when their racial worldviews, positions, or advantages are questioned or challenged.  Why do some White Americans experience white fragility when the tables are turned with characters such as Snake Eyes? Does the “white hero” stereotype created by patriotism in the media truly cause White people so much cognitive dissonance that it triggers white fragility?

By Chip Carroll

Chip Carroll has a master’s degree in American history focused on contemporary pop culture. He has been collecting action figures most of his life. His favorite toy lines are G.I. Joe, Marvel Legends, and Star Wars. Also, loves to read comic books and has a file at two of his local comic book stores. He is a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), an educational medieval organization. He likes to spend his weekends with his friends doing full contact medieval fighting. Lastly a beer connoisseur, his favorite beer is free and cold.

21 thoughts on “Patriotism in the Media and White Fragility: The True Enemies of the G.I. Joe Universe?”
  1. Snake Eyes wasn’t originally a ninja. He was a commando that was disfigured in Vietnam.
    His being a ninja was a retcon added later.

    1. He wasn’t originally any ehtnicity when he was a commando. Neither Larry Hama nor Hasbro had decided. Making him white was a retcon added later.

  2. copied verbatim from the Joe Group I responded to this in:

    You have always been nice and polite to me. I agree with some points of the article, but others really bother me. I realize you didn’t want to write a novel, so somethings may be missing context, and you likely have a more expanded and nuance view that you communicate here, so feel free to engage with me, or expand your thoughts in response to my own.

    You say, ” Because a characteristic of patriotism is depicting Americans as heroes and foreign countries as evil” Why do you feel this way? Is patriotism in ones country intrinsically tied to viewing another country as evil? Can I have, due to cultural heritage, a love for more than one country? Were our past wars about the country’s we were engaged with, their identity, or was it about their ideas and actions? Do you have some source featuring Larry Hama himself that would suggest that Larry felt “forced” to write SE as white? Or are you simply using a possibility as a story to disagree with other fans?

    You bring up a rather controversial author and highly politicized phrase. Is this the place for that discussion? Was it just to get clicks? Would you be okay if I quoted someone in contemporary society commonly thought of as racist ? Would you view me differently if I quoted someone who you felt was racist, who rejected the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, specifically on race and racism?

    1. Sam,
      I really appreciate that you took the time to read the article. Since we are friends I will respond to your questions privately.

  3. Snake-Eyes didn’t “become a ninja” until Hasbro introduced Storm Shadow. I thought it was problematic that the only Asian character in the GI Joe universe was Asian, so I decided to change him into a good-guy over the course of the next year in the ARAH continuity. I did that by melding the Snake-Eyes, and Storm Shadow storylines and giving them both roots in the Arashikage ninja clan. When I sat down to write and draw Silent Interlude (ARAH#21) Snake-Eyes was a “commando.” Halfway through the story (I write and draw page by page without an outline) I realized that both Snakes and Stormy had their sleeves torn, and I thought it would be interesting, and mysterious if they both had the same tattoo. At that time, I had no idea what the tattoo meant. When I did #26 I came up with the reason, and the Arashikage back-story. Also note- the writing process of GI Joe was always page by page, and almost continually retcon– which makes me wonder what all the foofarah about “canon” is about.

    1. Correction: I meant to write “…the only Asian character in the GI Joe universe was a villain…”

    2. Larry has been interviewed on the subject of the origins of his work on GI Joe a number of times, which are available to view on Youtube. It’s fascinating material, even background on the famous “silent issue” of GI Joe. Working under deadlines in the comics’ industry, one makes quick design, character and plot decisions to get the job done on time and only later does one get the chance to see consequences. Larry’s well-documented working method spurs spontenaiety and unique story points rather than recycling hackneyed tropes.

      In snake-Eyes’ case, he was left mysterious (and a handy all-black action figure requiring no paint) so that Larry was able, just so happened, to use him to bring Storm Shadow into the fold later. Lesson: sometimes less back-story is a good thing.

      Attempting to slide this character dev into a general suppostion about white male angst in the 20th-21st century would suggest more research be done first. Perhaps Larry’s racial background was the reason for this article in the first place. Regardless, I look forward to the movie in a big way and lot having paroxysms over the cast in any way.

    3. Mr. Hama,
      Thank you for adding the history behind Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow.

    4. Why don’t you just admit you changed it all to appease the “woke” crowd but mostly because you wanted another “movie check”. That’s the real reason and you know it. You shit on your fans like you have been the past few years because you hate white people and you wanted a motherfucking movie check. Hope it’s worth to lose over half your fan base. I’m ashamed I ever thought of you as a hero. You sold out. You have no integrity.

      1. Who are you to come on to my article and attack Larry Hama? He is a living legend that has written thousands of comics. He was generous enough to help provide history to this article and I can not thank him enough for taking the time to do it. How many comics have you written? Matter of fact, what have you ever done? When were you the best at something? How many iconic comics have you created? How the hell do you go on social media just to insult him and take a shot at a man that is one of the greatest comic creators? What have you done, probably nothing, because you are nothing. All you do is hide in your basement under a fake name attacking people on social media. At least, Mr. Hama did not hide behind some fake name or just a letter. Shame on you!! SHAME ON YOU!!!

    1. That’s not what Larry wrote. He didn’t say the main point of the article was wrong. Stop trying to justify your racism, Ben.

      1. “I find it amusing that many people claim to know more about my intent than I do. I thought it was problematic that the only Asian character in the GI Joe universe was Asian, so I decided to change him into a good-guy over the course of the next year in the ARAH continuity.”

        -Larry Hama
        Exactly what was racist statement, or a misquote?

  4. To me, this article is the same kind of pseudo-virtue signaling that was running rampant when Captain Marvel came out and some people (myself included) didn’t like it. In that instance, if you dared post anything negative about the film or Brie Larson (and you were male) you were immediately attacked as being misogynistic, sexist, etc. It didn’t matter what the reason was, it was more popular to pile on with the other signalers and point a disappointing finger.

    You’re postulating that “white people” are complaining because of their “white fragility”. So every person who has an opinion of Snake Eyes’ race, in your mind, is a “fragile” white male, probably early 40’s, who is marginally overweight and likely also hates women. Am I close? I wonder how Asian GU Joe fans feel about this?

    You write from a position of perceived authority given your (self-stated) credentials but this still reads as an extreme opinion piece with thinly veiled virtue signaling for “likes”. In fact, you posted this in multiple Facebook groups with the message “you don’t have to like it, just share it”.

    That alone speaks volumes to your intentions.

  5. I’m not sure how being a member of the same group that you’re also a member of us “trolling your Facebook page” but okay.

  6. https://www.ebay.com/itm/144091188056
    My Snake Eyes is a Commando, origin a mystery.
    I am a U.S. Army combat veteran of the Vietnam War and barely a year younger than Larry.
    I started reading “Hama-San’s Magnum Opus” aloud to my sons in 1986; they didn’t care what color he was.
    They still don’t.
    See you at The Movies!

  7. Pathetic….. Hollywood is WOKE GARBAGE ! Like Garbage Coke = Be Less White…. I’m sick of all this reverse racism bullshit…. Snake Eyes is a White guy… Period… He has always been white with blonde hair and blue eyes… He was an orphan in Japan… He and Storm Shadow grew up and trained together with the same master… Even the Origin story shows him stealing food and he is a white kid… The cartoon… Comic Books… All white… It’s stupid as hell to change a character completely just because hollywood is woke garbage….. Let me guess, they are going to make Storm Shadow hispanic or black…. Wont be getting my money…. BTW, in the comic when the Real Blonde Haired Snake Eyes dies, he gets replaced by another White Guy with Red Hair… Screw this garbage movie !

  8. Snake Eyes never had a canonical race. All fields relating to his identity were classified, and not once in the comics, original T.V. show, or the movies mentioned his race or even his place of birth, except for the 2009 remake. I think assuming the character is white, when the rest of the lineup is so diverse, is an inherently harmful assumption that detracts from the original portrayal in a very substantial way. Personally, I am happy that steps are being taken towards better asian representation, but the part I am unhappy with is the rewriting of the reasoning behind his silence. Originally, he had no reason, and his silence was both deeply intriguing, sort of charming in it’s mystery, and left no indication as to his identity. His original personality was nothing, his appearance was nothing, and his entire character was a blank slate that was meant to remain unknown. I hope you are aware that the dissatisfaction with the first impressions of the remake don’t just come from the narcissist, WOKE=BROKE, “based” idiots that make every community look like the scum of the earth, but from long time fans who are wary of a change to a character that didn’t seem to warrant any.

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