As you know, I have been celebrating my childish love ofPokémonby posting a series of articles based on the wacky Japanese collect-a-thon franchise. This will be the last of my Poké-flavored features (for a while, at least) but I think it’s the most important one of all.
Pokémon, as with all worldwide phenomena, grew larger than the sum of its parts. When the Gameboy game and TV show went global, the franchise gave rise to all manner of merchandise, spin-offs and news stories. Like everything that becomes a smash hit, however, not everything that grew from the seeds inPokémon‘s wake was good.
In this presentation, I take you on a dark and twisted journey through some of the worst things that have come into existence thanks toPokémon‘s success. This is, without a doubt, eight terrible things thatPokémonwrought.
1. Epilepsy:
If you followed the games industry back in the late nineties, there’s every chance that you knew of the potential harm inPokémonbefore you even properly knew whatPokémonwas. This was certainly the case with myself, when the first I’d ever heard of the game was a small news piece in a magazine that referenced a new Japanese show that was causing seizures. This show was, of course,Pokémon, and it was destroying children in its homeland before preparing the worldwide invasion.
Of course, a lot of the seizure “epidemic” is urban myth. While it’s claimed that as many as 600 kids were stricken with epilepsy at the sight of a certain clip in the anime, in actuality only a small amount of children suffered an epileptic attack as a result of the show. 618 children are reported to have been rushed to hospital, and the negative press forced the show to be pulled for a short while, but it later transpired that a mere handful of the admitted children were actually treated for photosensitive epilepsy.
Regardless,Pokémonwrought epilepsy, and epilepsy is terrible.
- Church stupidity
It should be written into law that if ever a craze becomes popular with children, a Church somewhere will condemn it, probably because they’re afraid it’ll make children stop paying attention to them.Pokémonwas no exception, and as soon as certain pastors realized that Pikachu was more popular than God (because God can only learn a limited number of TMs and is worthless against Fire Types) they quickly moved in to put a stop to it.
Christianity, Judaism and Islam have all had their shots, criticizing what they perceived as “occult” themes. The Jewish group known as The Anti-Defamation League made Nintendo edit the Golbat and Ditto trading cards, claiming they promoted antisemitism for featuring what looked like a swastika on them. Amusingly, whilePokémonhas been accused of antisemitism, Saudi Arabia went the other way, banningPokémonbecause it believed (somehow) that it promoted Zionism.
Church ministers have come up with all sorts of crazy ideas about howPokémonencourages Satanism and is a tool of evil. One of the best examples of stupidity in the whole “controversy” however was a certain school in Kansas banning anything to do withPokémonbecause the creatures evolved in the game, which of course flies in the face of the Christian belief system and was perceived as “subversive content.”
Naturally, not everyone of the religious persuasion is stupid (certainly no more than those who aren’t) and not everybody decided to burnPokémongames in the street like it was still the Dark Ages. The Vatican, for example, actually praised the franchise, stating that it was “full of inventive imagination,” and that it had “no harmful moral side effects.”
So there!
3. The PokéRAP:
I’d say more, but I think they’ve said it all for me, really.
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Misty’s POVWhere is that stupid kid? I mean, sure I love him, and I’ve had a crush on himfor who know’s how long, but he can be frustrating. “ASH C’MON YOU STUPIDTWIT!!!” Man I hate doing that…
Meanwhile, Ash’s POV“Remember Ariados, keep above us and when I give the signal, drop in front ofMisty.” Aria? (Why?) “ASH, C’MON YOU STUPID TWIT!!!” “That kinda thing forstarters. Dos (Ah).
Normal POV“Well, Brock, where to?” inquired Ash. “It looks like Goldenrod is nearest.How’s that sound?” “OK/Sure.” Ash and Misty said in unisen. After a while Ashturned and looked at Misty. Dang she’s pretty. She can even be really hot attimes Ash thought with a dreamy look on his face.
