GI Joe PSA Parodies

2003Dubbed parody video seriesclassic

Also known as: Fensler Films GI Joe · GI Joe PSAs · GI Joe Remixes

GI Joe PSA Parodies are 25 absurdist dubbed videos created by filmmaker Eric Fensler in 2003, replacing the audio of 1980s G.I. Joe public service announcements with nonsensical dialogue about porkchop sandwiches and body massages.

GI Joe PSA Parodies are a series of 25 absurdist dubbed videos created by Chicago filmmaker Eric Fensler in 2003, replacing the audio of the original 1980s G.I. Joe public service announcements with nonsensical dialogue about porkchop sandwiches, body massages, and other random topics. The videos spread through eBaum's World and personal blogs before a Hasbro cease and desist briefly took them offline, only for YouTube to give them a permanent second life. They rank among the earliest examples of viral video comedy and helped pioneer the remix/redub format that would define internet humor for years.

gi joe memesredub parody memesabsurdist humor memesearly internet memescopyright controversy memes

Overview

The GI Joe PSA Parodies take the earnest, kid-friendly public service announcements from the original 1985-1987 G.I. Joe animated series and dub completely unrelated, often bizarre dialogue over them2. The original PSAs followed a standard format: a G.I. Joe character would catch kids in a dangerous situation, offer safety advice, and close with the signature line "Now you know, and knowing is half the battle"3. Fensler's versions keep the animation intact but replace every word with surreal non sequiturs, making characters shout about porkchop sandwiches, demand body massages, or ramble incoherently about computers3.

The humor comes from the sharp contrast between the wholesome, authoritative tone of the original animation and the completely unhinged replacement audio. Each parody runs about 30 seconds and features Fensler's friends providing the new voice-over lines3. The result is a Dada-like comedy style that strips the original content of meaning while creating something oddly quotable1.

Eric Fensler, a Chicago-based filmmaker running the production company Fenslerfilm, created the parodies after rewatching G.I. Joe: The Movie on DVD, which included the original PSAs as bonus features3. The footage stuck with him, and he started experimenting with redubbing the audio. Fensler handled the video editing while friends, including Doug Lussenhop, supplied new voice-over lines3.

The first public screening happened at Heaven Gallery in Chicago, where Fensler presented the parodies as an art project3. Attendees received VHS copies of the videos, and the gallery uploaded them to their website. The traffic from viewers sharing the link crashed the gallery's server3. The very first parody involved a PSA about a child getting separated from his parents at a carnival, with the original safety message replaced by Fensler's absurdist dialogue2.

In a 2011 interview with WFMU's Beware of the Blog, Fensler said he never planned on uploading the videos online and made them simply to humor himself2. He didn't think of himself as someone creating viral content for the web.

Origin & Background

Platform
Heaven Gallery website (original screening), eBaum's World / Heavy.com (viral spread)
Key People
Eric Fensler, Doug Lussenhop
Date
2003

Eric Fensler, a Chicago-based filmmaker running the production company Fenslerfilm, created the parodies after rewatching G.I. Joe: The Movie on DVD, which included the original PSAs as bonus features. The footage stuck with him, and he started experimenting with redubbing the audio. Fensler handled the video editing while friends, including Doug Lussenhop, supplied new voice-over lines.

The first public screening happened at Heaven Gallery in Chicago, where Fensler presented the parodies as an art project. Attendees received VHS copies of the videos, and the gallery uploaded them to their website. The traffic from viewers sharing the link crashed the gallery's server. The very first parody involved a PSA about a child getting separated from his parents at a carnival, with the original safety message replaced by Fensler's absurdist dialogue.

In a 2011 interview with WFMU's Beware of the Blog, Fensler said he never planned on uploading the videos online and made them simply to humor himself. He didn't think of himself as someone creating viral content for the web.

How It Spread

After the Heaven Gallery server buckled under demand, two larger sites stepped in. eBaum's World and Heavy.com both began hosting copies of the videos in 2003. eBaum's World in particular drove massive viewership, embedding the parodies as Quicktime videos that users could watch directly in their browsers. By October 2003, the videos had been reuploaded and shared across various personal blogs.

On September 9, 2004, Hasbro sent Fensler a cease and desist order citing copyright infringement. The videos were pulled from eBaum's World and Fensler's personal site. The takedown sparked debate in animation communities, with threads on the Animation Nation forum and Toonami forum discussing whether the parodies qualified as fair use.

The removal was temporary in practice. When YouTube launched in 2005, multiple users reuploaded the full set of 25 parodies, and Hasbro did not pursue further legal action. Fensler eventually put the videos back on his own website, earning a mention in the New York Times in 2008, where a columnist described them as "hilarious Dada-esque shorts". By December 2012, searching "G.I. Joe PSAs" on YouTube returned over 2,000 results.

Fan remixes began appearing as early as 2004, with Eric Piotrowski of Garrison Multimedia hosting six remixes on his homepage.

Platforms

RedditTwitterTikTokInstagram

Timeline

2003

GI Joe PSA Parodies first appears online

2003

Gains traction on social media

2004

Reaches peak popularity

2005-01-01

GI Joe PSA Parodies reached mainstream popularity and media coverage

2006-01-01

Brands and companies started using GI Joe PSA Parodies in marketing

2008-01-01

GI Joe PSA Parodies entered the broader pop culture conversation

View on Google Trends

How to Use This Meme

The GI Joe PSA Parodies aren't a template format in the way image macros are. They're a fixed set of 25 videos that people quote, reference, and share. The most common usage patterns:

- Quoting catchphrases: Drop lines like "Porkchop sandwiches!" or "Body massage!" in comment threads, group chats, or as reaction text. These work best when someone is in a situation vaguely related to the original context (cooking mishaps for porkchop sandwiches, spa references for body massage). - Linking specific episodes: Share the relevant parody when a real-life situation mirrors the absurd scenario in one of the videos. - Creating new redubs: Some fans made their own versions using the same source animation or applied Fensler's technique to other 1980s cartoons with PSA segments.

The humor typically lands hardest with people who remember the original G.I. Joe PSAs or at least recognize the format of earnest cartoon safety messages being completely derailed.

Create Your Own

Cultural Impact

The parodies crossed over into mainstream media and commercial products in ways Fensler probably never anticipated. In the video game G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, developers at Double Helix Games had every voice actor record the line "Porkchop Sandwiches" for use as an in-game exclamation, though Hasbro ultimately rejected it to avoid complicating pending lawsuits.

The toy company Super7 released two ReAction figures directly based on the parodies: "Body Massage Roadblock" and "I'm A Computer Mutt". The Venture Bros. animated series referenced the videos in its second-season episode "Hate Floats," where the character Henchman 21 wears a "porkchop sandwiches" shirt while out of uniform.

Weezer's "Pork and Beans" music video, a love letter to viral internet culture, included a scene with animated versions of the band listening to G.I. Joe member Gung-Ho in the style of the original PSAs. Devil's Due Publishing worked a porkchop sandwiches reference into the first issue of their G.I. Joe: Storm Shadow comic. Even Duke Nukem Forever got in on it, with Duke saying both "Porkchop Sandwiches!" and "Body Massage!" during gameplay.

Fenslerfilm went on to produce TV spots for Adult Swim's Sealab 2021, using the same redub technique on animated footage. Doug Lussenhop, who had helped prepare the original parodies, parlayed the connection into a writing job on Tom Goes to the Mayor and later Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, where he brought Fensler on as a collaborator for all five seasons. As of 2013, Fensler was working at advertising firm Wieden+Kennedy.

Fun Facts

The videos were originally distributed on VHS tapes handed out at a Chicago art gallery before any internet upload happened.

Hasbro blocked the "Porkchop Sandwiches" line from appearing in their own licensed video game to protect ongoing legal proceedings.

Fensler didn't consider himself a viral content creator and said he made the videos purely to amuse himself.

Doug Lussenhop's work on the parodies led directly to his career writing for Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, shaping the Adult Swim comedy landscape.

The New York Times described the parodies as "hilarious Dada-esque shorts" in a 2008 digital culture column.

Derivatives & Variations

Fan remixes (2004+)

Eric Piotrowski of Garrison Multimedia created six remixed versions of Fensler's parodies, hosted on his personal homepage[2].

"Porkchop Sandwiches" merchandise

Unofficial t-shirts and other merchandise featuring the catchphrase became common enough that Hasbro cited them in legal concerns[3].

Sealab 2021 spots

Fenslerfilm produced Adult Swim TV spots using the same dubbed animation technique on Sealab 2021 footage[3].

Super7 ReAction figures

Official toy figures "Body Massage Roadblock" and "I'm A Computer Mutt" based directly on specific parody episodes[3].

Frequently Asked Questions

GI Joe PSA Parodies

2003Dubbed parody video seriesclassic

Also known as: Fensler Films GI Joe · GI Joe PSAs · GI Joe Remixes

GI Joe PSA Parodies are 25 absurdist dubbed videos created by filmmaker Eric Fensler in 2003, replacing the audio of 1980s G.I. Joe public service announcements with nonsensical dialogue about porkchop sandwiches and body massages.

GI Joe PSA Parodies are a series of 25 absurdist dubbed videos created by Chicago filmmaker Eric Fensler in 2003, replacing the audio of the original 1980s G.I. Joe public service announcements with nonsensical dialogue about porkchop sandwiches, body massages, and other random topics. The videos spread through eBaum's World and personal blogs before a Hasbro cease and desist briefly took them offline, only for YouTube to give them a permanent second life. They rank among the earliest examples of viral video comedy and helped pioneer the remix/redub format that would define internet humor for years.

gi joe memes redub parody memes absurdist humor memes early internet memes copyright controversy memes

Overview

The GI Joe PSA Parodies take the earnest, kid-friendly public service announcements from the original 1985-1987 G.I. Joe animated series and dub completely unrelated, often bizarre dialogue over them. The original PSAs followed a standard format: a G.I. Joe character would catch kids in a dangerous situation, offer safety advice, and close with the signature line "Now you know, and knowing is half the battle". Fensler's versions keep the animation intact but replace every word with surreal non sequiturs, making characters shout about porkchop sandwiches, demand body massages, or ramble incoherently about computers.

The humor comes from the sharp contrast between the wholesome, authoritative tone of the original animation and the completely unhinged replacement audio. Each parody runs about 30 seconds and features Fensler's friends providing the new voice-over lines. The result is a Dada-like comedy style that strips the original content of meaning while creating something oddly quotable.

Eric Fensler, a Chicago-based filmmaker running the production company Fenslerfilm, created the parodies after rewatching G.I. Joe: The Movie on DVD, which included the original PSAs as bonus features. The footage stuck with him, and he started experimenting with redubbing the audio. Fensler handled the video editing while friends, including Doug Lussenhop, supplied new voice-over lines.

The first public screening happened at Heaven Gallery in Chicago, where Fensler presented the parodies as an art project. Attendees received VHS copies of the videos, and the gallery uploaded them to their website. The traffic from viewers sharing the link crashed the gallery's server. The very first parody involved a PSA about a child getting separated from his parents at a carnival, with the original safety message replaced by Fensler's absurdist dialogue.

In a 2011 interview with WFMU's Beware of the Blog, Fensler said he never planned on uploading the videos online and made them simply to humor himself. He didn't think of himself as someone creating viral content for the web.

Origin & Background

Platform
Heaven Gallery website (original screening), eBaum's World / Heavy.com (viral spread)
Key People
Eric Fensler, Doug Lussenhop
Date
2003

Eric Fensler, a Chicago-based filmmaker running the production company Fenslerfilm, created the parodies after rewatching G.I. Joe: The Movie on DVD, which included the original PSAs as bonus features. The footage stuck with him, and he started experimenting with redubbing the audio. Fensler handled the video editing while friends, including Doug Lussenhop, supplied new voice-over lines.

The first public screening happened at Heaven Gallery in Chicago, where Fensler presented the parodies as an art project. Attendees received VHS copies of the videos, and the gallery uploaded them to their website. The traffic from viewers sharing the link crashed the gallery's server. The very first parody involved a PSA about a child getting separated from his parents at a carnival, with the original safety message replaced by Fensler's absurdist dialogue.

In a 2011 interview with WFMU's Beware of the Blog, Fensler said he never planned on uploading the videos online and made them simply to humor himself. He didn't think of himself as someone creating viral content for the web.

How It Spread

After the Heaven Gallery server buckled under demand, two larger sites stepped in. eBaum's World and Heavy.com both began hosting copies of the videos in 2003. eBaum's World in particular drove massive viewership, embedding the parodies as Quicktime videos that users could watch directly in their browsers. By October 2003, the videos had been reuploaded and shared across various personal blogs.

On September 9, 2004, Hasbro sent Fensler a cease and desist order citing copyright infringement. The videos were pulled from eBaum's World and Fensler's personal site. The takedown sparked debate in animation communities, with threads on the Animation Nation forum and Toonami forum discussing whether the parodies qualified as fair use.

The removal was temporary in practice. When YouTube launched in 2005, multiple users reuploaded the full set of 25 parodies, and Hasbro did not pursue further legal action. Fensler eventually put the videos back on his own website, earning a mention in the New York Times in 2008, where a columnist described them as "hilarious Dada-esque shorts". By December 2012, searching "G.I. Joe PSAs" on YouTube returned over 2,000 results.

Fan remixes began appearing as early as 2004, with Eric Piotrowski of Garrison Multimedia hosting six remixes on his homepage.

Platforms

RedditTwitterTikTokInstagram

Timeline

2003

GI Joe PSA Parodies first appears online

2003

Gains traction on social media

2004

Reaches peak popularity

2005-01-01

GI Joe PSA Parodies reached mainstream popularity and media coverage

2006-01-01

Brands and companies started using GI Joe PSA Parodies in marketing

2008-01-01

GI Joe PSA Parodies entered the broader pop culture conversation

View on Google Trends

How to Use This Meme

The GI Joe PSA Parodies aren't a template format in the way image macros are. They're a fixed set of 25 videos that people quote, reference, and share. The most common usage patterns:

- Quoting catchphrases: Drop lines like "Porkchop sandwiches!" or "Body massage!" in comment threads, group chats, or as reaction text. These work best when someone is in a situation vaguely related to the original context (cooking mishaps for porkchop sandwiches, spa references for body massage). - Linking specific episodes: Share the relevant parody when a real-life situation mirrors the absurd scenario in one of the videos. - Creating new redubs: Some fans made their own versions using the same source animation or applied Fensler's technique to other 1980s cartoons with PSA segments.

The humor typically lands hardest with people who remember the original G.I. Joe PSAs or at least recognize the format of earnest cartoon safety messages being completely derailed.

Create Your Own

Cultural Impact

The parodies crossed over into mainstream media and commercial products in ways Fensler probably never anticipated. In the video game G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, developers at Double Helix Games had every voice actor record the line "Porkchop Sandwiches" for use as an in-game exclamation, though Hasbro ultimately rejected it to avoid complicating pending lawsuits.

The toy company Super7 released two ReAction figures directly based on the parodies: "Body Massage Roadblock" and "I'm A Computer Mutt". The Venture Bros. animated series referenced the videos in its second-season episode "Hate Floats," where the character Henchman 21 wears a "porkchop sandwiches" shirt while out of uniform.

Weezer's "Pork and Beans" music video, a love letter to viral internet culture, included a scene with animated versions of the band listening to G.I. Joe member Gung-Ho in the style of the original PSAs. Devil's Due Publishing worked a porkchop sandwiches reference into the first issue of their G.I. Joe: Storm Shadow comic. Even Duke Nukem Forever got in on it, with Duke saying both "Porkchop Sandwiches!" and "Body Massage!" during gameplay.

Fenslerfilm went on to produce TV spots for Adult Swim's Sealab 2021, using the same redub technique on animated footage. Doug Lussenhop, who had helped prepare the original parodies, parlayed the connection into a writing job on Tom Goes to the Mayor and later Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, where he brought Fensler on as a collaborator for all five seasons. As of 2013, Fensler was working at advertising firm Wieden+Kennedy.

Fun Facts

The videos were originally distributed on VHS tapes handed out at a Chicago art gallery before any internet upload happened.

Hasbro blocked the "Porkchop Sandwiches" line from appearing in their own licensed video game to protect ongoing legal proceedings.

Fensler didn't consider himself a viral content creator and said he made the videos purely to amuse himself.

Doug Lussenhop's work on the parodies led directly to his career writing for Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, shaping the Adult Swim comedy landscape.

The New York Times described the parodies as "hilarious Dada-esque shorts" in a 2008 digital culture column.

Derivatives & Variations

Fan remixes (2004+)

Eric Piotrowski of Garrison Multimedia created six remixed versions of Fensler's parodies, hosted on his personal homepage[2].

"Porkchop Sandwiches" merchandise

Unofficial t-shirts and other merchandise featuring the catchphrase became common enough that Hasbro cited them in legal concerns[3].

Sealab 2021 spots

Fenslerfilm produced Adult Swim TV spots using the same dubbed animation technique on Sealab 2021 footage[3].

Super7 ReAction figures

Official toy figures "Body Massage Roadblock" and "I'm A Computer Mutt" based directly on specific parody episodes[3].

Frequently Asked Questions