Martha requested the first pokemon message, so here it is again.  In a 
message dated 28/10/99 10:54:00 GMT Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes:

<< (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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