If you're looking for any really deep thoughts, then you've come to the wrong place. However, if you're looking for simple opinions on ordinary, mundane things, then you've come to the right place.
I admit it. I am a Pokemon fan. I maybe in my twenties, but I'm still young enough at heart to appreciate the Pokemon craze. Of course, I'm not about to go spending hundreds of dollars on trading cards and toys. Oh, no, I'll just save my money and spend hundreds of dollars on the videos and the Nintendo Game Boy and N64 games.
I could name them all if you really wanted me to, but there's no way for you to tell whether I'm just typing them all from a list or not. But I will go ahead and list some of my favorites from the animated series. Pikachu (of course) is probably at the top of the list, but I also like Pidgeot and Bulbasaur. I also like Onix and Vulpix, even if I rarely get to see them. And to a lesser extent (because I see them even more infrequently) I also like Rapidash, Arcanine, Krabby/Kingler, and Dewgong. As for which Pokemon I prefer playing with on the Game Boy games, well...I admit, I haven't finished the game yet, but that's because I want to build up all my Pokemon (except the ones I fight with to catch new ones) up to at least level thirty and their full evolution (except by trading or evolution stones). But my favorites to fight with are Pikachu, Sandslash, Fearow, Butterfree, and Beedrill.
I haven't seen the movie, and probably won't until it comes out either on cable television or on videotape, but I'm patient and can wait for it. But in the meantime, ever since it first came out I've been listening to radio shows where parents call in to complain about the way Pokemon has taken over their children's lives. They're upset about how much money the Pokemon cards and toys are costing them, and how devotedly their children memorize each and every Pokemon's statistics. They're also upset about how a good deal of extortion and gambling (or so it seems to them) is going on, and the rarity of certain Pokemon in the cards, and this, and that, and every little thing they can think of. And you know what? They're doing the same things their parents probably did to them years ago, and their children are probably doing the same things they themselves did years ago.
Ever heard of baseball cards? I have. I used to collect them until I realized that I wasn't really interested in baseball, or any sports like football or basketball. I did collect various other cards, like Spider-Man, Marvel, DC, X-Men, Olympics, and others. And part of the draw was the hope of finding some of the special cards in the packets that I bought, like the hologram cards a lot of those collections offered. But that's all part of the industry. And if parents are going to complain...well, I'll discuss that more later. But suffice it to say that a limited number of some cards and a range from generally available to extremely rare is typical.
Back to baseball cards. According to my older relatives, baseball cards were once about a dime for ten (or something like that, I don't remember exactly what they said). When you compare that to several dollars for a pack of maybe fifteen Pokemon or Magic cards (which were the big thing before Pokemon came in), then maybe the prices do seem exorbitant. On the other hand, look at all the other price increases over the years. Now the price doesn't seem all that unreasonable, does it? Well, maybe it does, but what our parents' parents think when their children were spending on baseball cards what might possibly buy enough food to sustain the family for weeks? Probably the same thing they think about their children spending so much on Pokemon.
As to the assertions about gambling and extortion, well, who's fault is that? Is it the card makers' fault? Is it the children's fault? Or is it the parents? fault? Not to blame anyone, but consider that if parents were to emphasize to their children what is right and what is wrong, then a lot of the problems wouldn't arise to begin with. Perhaps children are learning about the value of a dollar and the art of the transaction earlier than most parents would like. Well, if that's the case, teach the children how to make good transactions where everyone wins and nobody loses. Of course, there might also be a thing or two that children could teach their parents about a good deal, too, so it works both ways, right?
On another point, let's see what the Pokemon stories teach children. To fight? Not necessarily. To compete? Definitely. But to compete dangerously? No! The competitions occur between the Pokemon, and though some people might consider this to be akin to, say, cock-fighting or dog-fighting, there is a limit which Pokemon trainers must observe: specifically, fights are not to the death! And while the issue of a ten-year old boy (Ash) travelling the world without adult supervision (although Brock's there, and they always seem to be running into Nurse Joys and Officer Jennys) might be shocking to adults--especially when so many of their children are already so independent--Ash finds hordes of opportunities to learn about responsibility, integrity, trust, interdependence, friendship...the list goes on and on.
Now for my list of complaints and suggestions. Before parents get upset about their children "gambling" and spending hundreds of dollars on Pokemon cards in hopes of getting just one extremely rare one, consider that the same thing is done through the medium of snacks and cereals. Of course, no child is going to insist on buying out an entire store's worth of one type of cereal. But there will be that motivating interest for buying a particular cereal or snack. So if parents don't want their children "gambling" when the odds are against them, they should ensure that nothing at all like this be permitted either. It's only fair, right? Otherwise you penalize one company for making a profit when other companies--and companies that have a fairly long history at that--do the same thing. And while we're on this topic, we should be teaching children by example. So every parent who buys a lottery ticket, or goes to Las Vegas or Atlantic City or any other gambling mecca is being a hypocrite, as is any one that enters any sort of contest.
And consider this now: is it really that bad that the nation's children are interested in Pokemon? It could be worse. They could be interested in guns and knives and crystal meth and cocaine and heroine and wine and tobacco and any of a number of worse things. Far better, I'd say, that children channel money into a worthwhile industry like the card industry instead of the kind of organization that funds less socially acceptable vices that reach out and affect everyone, not just adults.
One final thing. Instead of simply letting children sit in front of the television each day to watch Pokemon episodes alone, why not watch it with them? Sure, children might know much more about it than adults, and perhaps the parents are afraid of demonstrating that they don't know everything. And perhaps the children will be irritated by parents constantly asking questions about this and that. But if parents watch television with their children, and if parents learn to play the card game with their childen, then parents and children will come together, won't they? And isn't that what family is all about?
So don't let the Pokemon craze alienate you from your children that love it. Use it to improve your relationship with them instead. And children, don't be too smug about knowing more than your parents do. You never know: their team of Butterfree, Bellsprout, and Charmander might just beat your Seadra, Venusaur, and Pikachu before you know what's happened!
I guess that's enough ranting for now. Take issue with me if you want--I'd welcome so feedback--but at least consider carefully whether such things as I've mentioned above can affect you or not. I guarantee it: it's a valuable trait to have!
I don't know if this has prompted any deep or interesting thoughts in you, but if you have any questions or comments, don't hesitate to send me an e-mail. I'm generally up for any debate and maybe--just maybe--we can start some sort of regular exchange of thoughts.
Comments? Suggestions? E-mail me with your words of wisdom. I'm up for a hearty e-mail debate if you are!
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