Hey, did you know that adults have a hard time understanding "Pokemon"? Isn't that hilarious and relatable? Well, sure...
You know, except for the piddling detail that I *am* an adult and I love "Pokemon". Grew up with it even. And in 1999 I would probably give people my age who do not understand - just understand, not even necessarily like- "It's a role-playing game. There are magical creatures with special powers that are either strong or weak against others. You befriend and train a team of six such creatures on an adventure across the country" the side-eye. (Hell, I don't even know how I'd react now to a person who was in college in 1999 who still does not get "Pokemon". I hope this never happens; it would be awkward.)
Pretty sure everybody understands collectable magazine covers though:
(This is where I remember thinking of Togepi as a Scrappy-Doo like pest at the time. "Soul Silver" proved me wrong.)
Here's the article in full, and there are just so many great things in it. The "Damn kids these days would rather enjoy (thing) than play the way I did when I was their age", the author's uncomfortable fixation on Misty's legs, the "This is totally cockfighting and also gambling and addiction and probably other bad things," the note that there is no inherit value in the trading card game cards but there totally is in old bottle caps (wtf?), the peek into the very late-90's trend of how everything collectable is totally going to increase in value someday you guys, and the assurance that "Pokemon" is definitely going to be a short-lived fad that nobody is going to care about in, say, twenty years. Mmm-hmm.
I am especially in awe of the bit where he wants us to "imagine a baby Rosie O'Donnell" when picturing Pikachu. That is the Year 1999 handily condensed into one single sentence.
^^ I also really love those bonkers episode summaries and how they just flat-out spoil what Marill looks like without you having to do the puzzle.
Of course 1999 wasn't all cute magical elemental monsters. This was also the year of TV ratings and the V-Chip. I can't overstate how this was such a huge, controversial deal back in the day. And now it's just something we live with. It's weird how that happened and makes articles like this very strange to read in hindsight.
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Drawing of the Day
Some of those Gen 2 Pokemon designs, yo...
