The newly released Netflix documentary series The Toys that Made Us highlights the cultural, societal, and historical importance of some of the United States’ most popular toys. Released in December of 2017, this show explains that some toys are more complex than they might seem on the surface. Episode 4 tells the story of G.I Joe, the world’s very first action figure. While giving the audience a tour through G.I. Joe’s inception and development more than fifty years ago, the documentary makes it clear that these toys were not just simple commodities that appeared on a shelf for children swoon over, but rather meticulously crafted tools which had a great impact on the times that followed. In a war-torn world, the G.I. Joe toy rode