Letters

THE POKEMON INVASION

"Kids fall in love with Pokemon because it presents youth as dignified and important, something young people desperately want." MILDRED VONHILDEGARDE Narrowsburg, N.Y.

Your article on the Pokemon craze [ARTS, Nov. 22] noted many of the reasons that children are drawn to this imaginary world of battling pocket monsters--the charm of the characters, the addictiveness of the game, the challenge of collecting the cards and a child's innate urge to acquire. But one of the most powerful aspects of this phenomenon is Ash, the hero of the TV series. He attains something real children yearn for--independence and control over relationships. Ash leaves home on the noble quest to become a Pokemon master. He achieves this by using his wits to capture superintelligent "pets" and training them to become obedient, skillful fighters. How many of us remember that as children, we wished we could tell our friends and family what to do without the risk of losing their love? MELISSA HAMILTON Peachtree City, Ga.

Pokemon-crazed youngsters should go to their closet and look at the Power Rangers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles they never play with anymore. Then they'll see that they won't be using their Pokemon stuff in six months. Keep your money, kids. JEREMY REGULA Hudson, N.H.

For kids to idle away their time with this Pokemon nonsense is ludicrous. What good is there in it? The cards, the show, the game, the movie--where will it all end? It's sad to see youngsters in this advanced culture waste their time on something that will not benefit them later in life. It's ridiculous. CLINT HERSCHEL Bradenton, Fla.

I observed my niece and nephew, ages 7 and 8, as they played with their Pokemon cards with a neighborhood friend. Without knowing it, they were learning and developing some very important life skills--memory, math, spelling, vocabulary, negotiation, competition and teamwork. While there are less materialistic ways to acquire and develop these various skills, it was quite interesting to watch them play. KAREN ANN MILLER New Orleans

I'm convinced that your magazine is nothing more than an advertising outlet for your parent company, Time Warner. As the mother of young children exposed to the Pokemon craze, I read your cover anticipating reinforcement for or at least an explanation of whether my parental decision to limit Pokemon in my household was warranted. Instead, I read an article--or should I say advertisement--with little investigation into the influence such commercial games have on children. There seems to be a trend in your magazine to advertise upcoming Time Warner movie releases without much newsworthy information. MARY KAY BATTAGLIA Anchorage

Pokemon cannot possibly rub off negatively on the children who watch the show or movie. On your cover, you questioned, "For many kids it's now an addiction... Is it bad for them?" Pokemon, unlike so many other things, is a positive addiction. I would rather have my child fixated on Pokemon than getting into drugs, alcohol or vandalism. JOSH HAMERMAN Scotch Plains, N.J.

U.S. consumers have a rapacious appetite for products, especially imported ones. Children have an addiction to Pokemon, just as their parents have an insatiable appetite for foreign-made luxury cars. With such examples, how can our kids be expected to curb their wants? NICHOLAS J. GRECO Rockville, Md.