RE: Re(2): Pokeiman redux

From: Eugene Matusov (ematusov@UDel.Edu)
Date: Fri Dec 03 1999 - 14:12:16 PST


Dear Kathie--

Thanks for the very interesting info about Pokemon.

I'm a Pokemon fan but in a sociocultural sense. For me, the phenomenon of
Pokemon is interesting as a case of creating a community of practice among
kids and reaction of adults (parents) and schools on something that kids
really like to do. I wonder how Pokemon spreads and what makes it more
successful and attractive for many kids than other games and activities
targeted kids. I'm sure that Pokemon is a very much cultural phenomenon and
can't fly with any child or any culture. I feel like phenomena like Pokemon
are undervalued and understudied in our culture. Pokemon can be
metaphor/example for the authentic learning (or whatever we try to contrast
traditional schoolish learning), for culture, for community. I want to
create Pokemons in my classrooms out of subjects that I teach. Pokemon is
life and artifact at the same time. Nobody assigns Pokemon to kids but they
do it on their own. It is contaminating like an epidemic disease. It can be
dangerous. It is multifaceted and comprehensive like anything real. It is
wild and uncontrolled as anything alive. Before the comet of Pokemon leaves
our sky, we may want to focus our telescopes of professional attention on
it.

Pokemon highlights the relationship between adults and kids. I have heard
from many parents that they punish their kids for their transgressions by
not letting them play Pokemon. There is something strange in that -- to find
what your loved ones really like to do and threaten them to take it out.

Schools feel threaten for competing with Pokemon for kids' attention.
Pokemon brings new problems for teachers and caregivers (e.g., kids' fights
for Pokemon cards, stealing Pokemon cards). There is a very strong movement
among teachers (even in some innovative schools) to ban Pokemon. My
undergrad students who have teaching practicum in local schools in Delaware
told me that many teachers (but not all!) even ban the word "Pokemon" in
their classroom. The level of school repression against Pokemon can be only
compared with religious or political repressions. For example, at LACC
(Latin-American Community Center at Wilmington) a kid was quickly hiding
Pokemon cards when he saw me. I asked him why he was hiding cards from me
and he replied that he forgot that it is OK at LACC to have the cards (he
would smuggle them anyway -- remember Corsaro's paper on banning toys in an
Italian kindergarten?!).

Pokemon is not unique causality of adult repressions. Harry Potter books is
another causality of the same war for adult control of kids' interests (see
http://www.msnbc.com/msn/322678.asp ) I think anything that becomes a focus
of strong kids' interest makes some adults and many teachers worry.

What do you think?

Eugene
PS Mike, I remember you said once that adults try to ban many things that
kids like to do. Can you remind me your exact saying, please? You were
making this comment in the context of finding 5th Dim's activities that kids
would love and adults would tolerate.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Katherine Goff [mailto:Katherine_Goff@ceo.cudenver.edu]
> Sent: Friday, December 03, 1999 3:51 PM
> To: xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> Cc: xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> Subject: Re(2): Pokeiman redux
>
>
> the time magizine article does tell a story of the creation of pokemon and
> the man who created it (with nintendo's help, of course). it's
> interesting, the hidden biases of the article and what is told and what is
> not.
>
> “In Japan, where the Pokemon were born, Ash is called Satoshi; and Satoshi
> was made in the image of his creator, Satoshi Tajiri, a young outcast who,
> as a boy living just outside Tokyo, collected insects and other tiny
> creatures of field, pond, and forest. In a nation of ultraconforminsts, he
> was a misfit who didnt’ even dream of college.”
>
> time magazine says that satoshi tajiri is a “otaku” and only explains by
> saying otaku “are those who shut themselves in with video games or comic
> books or some other kind of ultraspecialization away from the rest of
> society.”
>
> kathie
>
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> start all over.
> start all over.
> we need to make new symbols,
> make new signs,
> make a new language,
> with these we'll redefine the world
> and start all over.
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^tracy chapman:new beginning
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> Katherine_Goff@ceo.cudenver.edu
> http://ceo.cudenver.edu/~katherine_goff/index.html



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