As a boy, I always thought G.I.Joes were suspect for that reason--we didn't have the term "action figure" back then, and the kid in the neighborhood who had one was, like 11, a year younger than me, and he watched Jonny Quest, which, face it, was for children, so he was suspect too. That I generally managed to find an excuse to be in the room when my little brother was watching it was entirely coincidental.
As for the neighbor kid's G.I. Joe? A stake, a blindfold and a Daisy was about the only thing we could figure to do with it that was any fun.