Pokémon : Good/ Bad?
By: budman592@hotmail.com    

Pokemon has become quite the controversial subject. I've read the articles on nintendoland.com, supporting and opposing Pokemon. Pokemon is both a good and bad thing.

First--the good. Pokemon (the game and tv show) teach the morals of discipline, responsibility, and compassion for others. The game is highly innovative (I spent many an hour raising my team on Red), and the show is interesting to watch (players of the game can sometimes relate to Ash on the show). The Pokemon movies also taught good morals and lessons young children should learn. Pokemon also takes some kids away from wrestling (which they shouldn't be watching unless they're at least 15) so that they have something to do besides watching shows directed at older audiences. So, in a couple ways, Pokemon is a good thing.

Now--the bad. One of the big problems is obsession. I've heard many stories about people that wish that Pokemon existed, or believe they do exist (my cousin's friend believes Pokemon live in Hawaii). One of my cousins decorated his dad's van with Pokemon stickers all over it, and sometimes replies to anything asked by talking like Pokemon. A child saying "Pikachu" doesn't exactly tell a parent whether or not they cleaned their room, so confusion can rise from all this. Some people are so obsessed with collecting Pokemon stuff, that they do insane, inhuman, sometimes murderous things just to get a Pokemon item. Another problem is merchandising. It's true that Nintendo isn't big enough to make their own merchandise, and that they give the rights to people like Hasbro, but every time you walk in a store, you can't walk past most departments without seeing something with Pikachu on it. They cover everything, from pencils, to plates, even their own cereal! I wouldn't be surprised to see Pokemon TV Dinners and Pikachu Pizza where the pepperoni looks like a pokemon! Too much time is being spent on selling, selling, selling. Sadly, it works, because the guys at Hasbro and the others know that kids' gullibility is the ticket to more money.

Don't think I'm a hater of Pokemon, I like it, but it just sickens me to see Pikachu on everything in stores. Merchandising may very well put Pokemon down the crapchute someday.