# GI Joe PSA Parodies > 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. ## Origin 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[3]. 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[3]. The first public screening happened at Heaven Gallery in Chicago, where Fensler presented the parodies as an art project[3]. 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[3]. 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[2]. 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[2]. He didn't think of himself as someone creating viral content for the web. - **Platform:** Heaven Gallery website (original screening), eBaum's World / Heavy.com (viral spread) - **Creator:** Eric Fensler (filmmaker/editor), Doug Lussenhop (co-producer/voice work) - **Date:** 2003 ## 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[2]. 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 computers[3]. 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[3]. The result is a Dada-like comedy style that strips the original content of meaning while creating something oddly quotable[1]. ## 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[3]. eBaum's World in particular drove massive viewership, embedding the parodies as Quicktime videos that users could watch directly in their browsers[2]. By October 2003, the videos had been reuploaded and shared across various personal blogs[2]. On September 9, 2004, Hasbro sent Fensler a cease and desist order citing copyright infringement[2]. The videos were pulled from eBaum's World and Fensler's personal site[3]. 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[2]. 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[2]. 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"[1]. By December 2012, searching "G.I. Joe PSAs" on YouTube returned over 2,000 results[2]. Fan remixes began appearing as early as 2004, with Eric Piotrowski of Garrison Multimedia hosting six remixes on his homepage[2]. ## How to Use 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. ## 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[3]. The toy company Super7 released two ReAction figures directly based on the parodies: "Body Massage Roadblock" and "I'm A Computer Mutt"[3]. 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[3]. 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[3]. Devil's Due Publishing worked a porkchop sandwiches reference into the first issue of their G.I. Joe: Storm Shadow comic[3]. Even Duke Nukem Forever got in on it, with Duke saying both "Porkchop Sandwiches!" and "Body Massage!" during gameplay[3]. Fenslerfilm went on to produce TV spots for Adult Swim's Sealab 2021, using the same redub technique on animated footage[3]. 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[3]. As of 2013, Fensler was working at advertising firm Wieden+Kennedy[3]. ## Fun Facts - The videos were originally distributed on VHS tapes handed out at a Chicago art gallery before any internet upload happened[3]. - Hasbro blocked the "Porkchop Sandwiches" line from appearing in their own licensed video game to protect ongoing legal proceedings[3]. - Fensler didn't consider himself a viral content creator and said he made the videos purely to amuse himself[2]. - 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[3]. - The New York Times described the parodies as "hilarious Dada-esque shorts" in a 2008 digital culture column[1]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What are the GI Joe PSA Parodies? They are a series of 25 short videos by filmmaker Eric Fensler that redub the public service announcements from the 1985-1987 G.I. Joe animated series with absurd, nonsensical dialogue[2]. ### Where did the GI Joe PSA Parodies come from? Eric Fensler created them in Chicago after rewatching G.I. Joe: The Movie on DVD and experimenting with replacing the PSA audio. They first screened at Heaven Gallery in Chicago before spreading online through eBaum's World[3]. ### What does "Porkchop Sandwiches" mean? It's a non sequitur line shouted by the character Blowtorch in one of the parody PSAs, replacing what was originally a kitchen fire safety message. The phrase has no intended meaning beyond absurdist comedy[3]. ### How do you use the GI Joe PSA Parodies? Most people quote specific catchphrases like "Porkchop sandwiches!" or "Body massage!" in conversation or comments, or share links to the relevant parody video when a real situation mirrors the absurd scenario[2]. ### Are the GI Joe PSA Parodies still popular? The parodies are a recognized piece of early internet video history. As of 2012, over 2,000 results appeared for "G.I. Joe PSAs" on YouTube, and the catchphrases still circulate in internet culture[2]. ### Who is Eric Fensler? Eric Fensler is a Chicago-based filmmaker who heads the production company Fenslerfilm. After the GI Joe parodies went viral, he produced content for Adult Swim and worked at advertising firm Wieden+Kennedy[3]. ### Did Hasbro sue over the GI Joe PSA Parodies? Hasbro issued a cease and desist order on September 9, 2004, forcing the videos off eBaum's World and Fensler's personal site, but no lawsuit was filed. After the videos reappeared on YouTube, Hasbro did not pursue further legal action[2]. ### What is the "Body Massage" parody? One of the 25 parody PSAs where the original safety dialogue is replaced with a character repeatedly saying "body massage" in various tones. It became one of the most quoted and recognized of the series[3]. ### How did the parodies influence Adult Swim? Doug Lussenhop, who helped create the parodies, joined the writing team for Tom Goes to the Mayor and later brought Fensler onto Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! for all five seasons[3]. ### Were any official products based on the parodies? Yes. Super7 released two ReAction toy figures based on specific parody episodes, and multiple media properties referenced "Porkchop Sandwiches" including The Venture Bros., a G.I. Joe comic, and Duke Nukem Forever[3]. ## References 1. [The Digital Ramble | Military Investigation]() 2. [Before you continue to YouTube]() 3. [Situs Judi Slot Mpo Online Gacor Judi Slot Jackpot Terbesar Gampang Menang 2022 -]() 4. [GI Joe PSA Parodies - Know Your Meme]() 5. [Fenslerfilm]() 6. [G.I. Joe]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/gi-joe-psa Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library