Well DUH! (from Monday)

[servermonkey]

Popped Culture

When the producers of Toy Story were preparing to make that breakthrough animated film, they asked various manufacturers if they could use their toys in the film. The one toy they couldn't land was GI Joe.

"The company executives didn't want us inspiring kids to blow up GI Joe," explained Andrew Stanton, cocreator of Toy Story. "We tried to point out to them that if boys blew up their GI Joes, they'd have to buy new ones."

Instead, Toy Story used little green army men.

Comments

[xforge.livejournal.com]

And IIRC they sold the bejesus out of Toy Story-branded green army men too. GI Joe is Hasbro - I think Mr. Potato Head is too, so at least they didn't get all uppity with their entire line...

[servermonkey.livejournal.com]

Perhaps giving Potato Head some good lines helped with the decision? :)