(Apologies in advance for those who do not have cable/satellite because, as 
far as I know, the programme I am referring is not available on a terrestrial 
channel in the UK.)

Having been quizzed by a couple of researchers/journalists on what this 
year's favourite Christmas toys are likely to be, I have been paying rather 
more attention than usual to Pokemon, the Japanese (I think, from the style) 
children's cartoon (I would say for under-eights).  I was struck by the 
subtle anti-progressive, anti-internationalist, anti-technocratic, even 
anti-androgynous elements (the 'baddy' girl and boy cross-dress and are 
identified with a rock song about an international force conquering the 
skies).  There is a correspondingly overt quasi-ecological theme, of course 
-- ie 'goodies' are depicted as human moral agents responsible for the 
guardianship of the earth and all the entities within it, including 
quasi-organic pokemons. (As far as I can make out, pokemon are like virtual 
tamagochi -- not exactly a form of artificial intelligence, but certainly 
sentient beings that have an artificial mechanical/electronic element to 
their existence.  For example they are contained in little metal (or plastic) 
boxes; they can also be found in the wild, and when taken out of the wild 
need to be nurtured and trained -- my source for these details are my 
children, 8 and 4, who have been regular viewers since the spring.)  In the 
programme, whether one is a 'goody' or not depends on how one looks after 
pokemon and to what purpose one trains pokemon for.

What strikes me is the adult reaction to the programme: the worry seems to be 
the commercialization of pokemon in the form of mechandising of pokemon toys. 
 There may be a point in this, but it is no more an issue than that 
surrounding Teletubbies mechandising -- not really much of an issue, if it 
weren't for the space and attention the media gives to it from time to time 
as they do all sorts of other social panics.  I have not heard any comment on 
the more subtle points I have raised which seem to be equally -- if not more 
-- influential to the formation of children's and young peoples attitudes.  I 
am not, for one moment, suggesting that there should be a Mary-Whitehouse 
type of outcy against pokemon as there was to the Simpsons.  I am just 
interested to know why it is that public opinion seems to be so inert on some 
aspects of children's media and not in other aspects?  Does adult public 
opinion reflect the broader pre-occupation with money (hence the apparent 
preoccupation with commercial/financial aspects of children's media) over 
other aspects of life?

Has anybody done a systematic study into which aspects of children's media 
are a perceived by adult public opinion to be a priority issue, and which 
aspects are less of an issue? Any comments?


Jenina


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