The Cultural Politics of Pokemon Capitalism It is fall 1999 and a jet from Japan has just pulled up to its berth at LAX airport in Los Angeles. Immediately a crowd of kids excitedly gathers by the window to view what appears to be a huge flying Pikachu: the yellowy cute, electrically charged mouse-type pocket monster of what was then the biggest kid’s craze of the decade, Pokemon. Even parents recognize this iconic figure, familiar as they are with the basics of the phenomenon. Starting out as a gameboy game in Japan in 1996, it grew quickly to a multi-stranded empire: comic books, cartoon, movies, trading cards, toy figures, video games, tie-in merchandise. And, starting in 1997, Pokemon got exported, hitting the U.S. in August 1998. The principle of the game, duplicated in the plotline of the movies, cartoons, and comics, is to become a pokemon master by trying to capture all 151 monsters (expanded to 251 in recent editions) inhabiting the playscapes of Poke-world. In this world, any child can become a master like Satoshi (Ash in English) who, in the story versions, is the 11 year old protagonist traveling the world with his two buddies, Misty (an 11 year old girl) and Brock (a 15 year old teenage boy). All one needs to do is keep playing: maneuver one’s controls to move through this game space, discovering and catching (mainly by fighting) new monsters whom consequently become pocketed as one’s own. Hence, the name “pocket monster.” Pocketed monsters are trained to fight new monsters therefore becoming both the medium and end of this game. The logic here is acquisition; “gotta catch ‘em all” is the catchword of Pokemon. But entwined into this, as Benjamin noted about commodity fetishism at the dawn of modernity, is enchantment. The monsters to be gotten are not only things, possessions, and tools but also enchanting beings akin to spirits, pets, or friends. Pikachu iconizes this weave of relationality taken, I will argue, to the age of millennial postmodernity. With its electric powers, Pikachu is a tough, therefore prized, pokemon. But, with its smallish, yellow body, Pikachu is also cuddly and cute: features played up on screen where it becomes the best buddy pokemon of the lead character, Ash. This monster is at once property and pal, capital and companion: the key features in a form of intimate or cute
Utopia is a term invented by Sir Thomas More in 1515. However, he traces the root two Greek words outopia and eutopia which means a place does not exist and a fantasy, invention. It is widely accepted that Plato was to first to picture a utopian order. In his masterpiece, “Republic”, he formed the principles of ideal commonsense and his utopia (Hertzler, 1922:7). After the classical age, Sir Thomas More assumed to be the first of the utopian writers in early modern period. As a humanist, he gave the world in his “Utopia” a vision of a perfect communistic commonwealth (the history of utopian thought). Utopia’s influence on contemporary and rival scholars is so deep that it has given its name to whole class of literature. Following the appearance of More’s Utopia, there was a lack of Utopian literature for nearly a century (Hertzler, 1922:7). This period ended with the works of Francis Bacon, Campanelle and Harrington. These early modern utopians, being the children of Renaissance, filled with a love of knowledge and high respect for the newly truths of science. Thus, they believed that the common attainment of knowledge means the largest participation of all members of society in its joys and benefits. After the period of early Utopians, continuation of a sprit of French Revolution and initial signs of industrial revolution resulted in the emergence of a new group of Utopians called Socialist Utopians (Hertzler, 1922: 181). The word “Socialism” seems to have been first used by one of the leading Utopian Socialists, St Simon. In politics utopia is a desire that never come true neither now nor afterwards, a wish that is not based on social forces (material conditions and production) and is not supported by the growth and development of political, class forces. This paper discusses the validity of this claim, tries to present and evaluate the political reforms, if any, offered by Socialist Utopians.
There's a reason why Pokemon RPG games were selling like hotcakes, and it's all about the gameplay. In Gold/Silver, the foundation from RBY games remain strong; you're still a Pokemon Trainer, dedicated to capture as much Pokemon as possible, use them in battles, and earn glory by defeating other Trainers with their Pokemon. Every species of Pokemon (there's now 251 of them) had its own strength and weakness, became stronger and acquire techniques by leveling up, may evolve through various ways, and compete in one of the most effective turn-based battle system ever created.
Competitive Pokemon first started in 1996, when the game first came out. Most casual fans picked up the games and went through it, enjoying the adventure and thrill of their first Pokemon journey. However, certain players saw strategies, combinations of moves, typing, and mechanics that led to a higher level of gameplay. Eventually, different rankings for Pokemon (tiers) were set up, Ubers being the highest (Mewtwo, for example), and OU (OverUsed) for more common but powerful Pokemon, such as Alakazam or Starmie.
Doctor John Parker Hammond is Scottish venture capitalist who develops a park on an island where dinosaurs can be brought back to life, through the miracles of science. He does this for the entertainment, and profit, of the people. However, the dinosaurs escape to bring terror upon those on the island, themselves, and the island itself. It is made very clear from the first scene that Jurassic Park is a commentary on global market capitalism. It both drives the story and its central complication.
The Monster’s confusion about the world and his inability to understand why he cannot simply be accepted in society drives his actions. Dutoit elaborates on the not so apparent truth that The Monster goes to great lengths to assimilate by acquiring language, understanding mannerisms and participating in customs. The Monster grows fond of a family, at first he watches them carefully, paying close attention to the details of their life and even steals food, unaware of their poverty. Supporting evidence which allows for the conclusion that he is innately good and simply longing for domesticity is shown by The Monsters willingness to help the family with chores, in secret of course. Nevertheless, he is universally shunned by everyone he encounters, except for the old blind man who was willing to have a social connection with him, until his family returned home and in fear rebelled against The Monster. This constant exile only leads to a greater alienation from the social world he deeply longs to be a part of. Unfortunately, due to his outward appearance, his good intentions are ill received by the people he
...his wife’s body into the opening then reassembles the wall back where it was. He doesn’t see the cat again after he rebuilds the wall. After a few days the police come out and search every place in the house. As they’re about to leave the narrator feels so proud of himself for getting away with his crime that he brags about how solid the walls are. He taps on the exact spot that his wife is buried in, and suddenly the wall starts emitting a high pitched inhuman wailing. The police (probably thinking the wife was in there) tear down the wall to find not only the cat, but the narrator’s brained wife lying peacefully in her eternal slumber.
A utopia does not necessarily need to be absolutely perfect to be accepted by all the people. For example, in Brave New World, John says, “But I don’t want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want
Hamlet’s sanity began to deteriorate when learned that his father’s death was not an accident, but rather a foul deed committed by the newly crowned King of Denmark. “If thou didst ever thy dear father love – Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” [Act I, v l .23-25]. As a mysterious ghost appeared in the terrace, Hamlet learned of a murderer that would prove his fealty towards his father. As he contemplated the appalling news recently brought to his attention, the control Hamlet had over his actions was questioned. “O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain! My tables meet it is I set it down, That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain. At least I am sure it may be so in Denmark,” [Act I, v l. 106-109]. Hamlet’s hatred toward his father’s killer caused him to relate the tribulations between murder and the aspects of Denmark as a country together. As with most of the conflicts Hamlet faced, his lack of ability to avenge his father’s death, furthered the deterioration of his life and surroundings.
Every country needs to have an economic system in order to enhance the living of people and the growth of the nation. It has an important role on the development of a nation. There are many ideas to get development, but the most prevalent ideology comes to capitalism and socialism. However, culture of capitalism development is very strong and most countries are following this way at the moment.
Utopia is a depiction of a semi-ideal society and all of the criticism of European society that ideal represents, and it is a explanation on itself and its themes. The book can at times be inconsistent, just as More himself could: a man who preached religious toleration and logically mistreated Protestants, decides to remain a Christian rather than enter the priesthood but ultimately died a willing victim for his faith. Ultimately, Utopia is a book that, like More, attempted to navigate a course through the ideal and the real, between a want to create perfection and the practical understanding that perfection, given the imperfection of mankind, is impossible.
However, when it came to applying this same concept to myself, I found that I kept drifting off into darker, non-childlike ideas. Then I came upon a quote that stated so eloquently, “we stopped checking for monsters under the bed when we realized they were inside of us,” and it clicked. Unlike the children’s monsters, my monsters were things inside of me. I let myself delve into the emotions and psychological states of being that haunted me the most and came upon a realization that these were my monsters. Therefore, I let them speak to me in a way that I had never really experienced before. It became apparent that I was nothing more than a vessel for their introduction to the outside world. This awareness got me thinking about what other people’s monsters eat, where they live, and what t...
...ference between humans and dogs is that once a human gets over something traumatic, the dog will not leave. A dog is not going to run away only to be seen when the next tragedy strikes. A dog is one of the most loyal and loving creatures on the planet and will be available before and after tragedy strikes.
A propeller is a device made for producing motion that consists of two or more blades mounted on a power-driven shaft. A propeller changes an engine’s power into forward thrust for the vehicle. The most well-known types of propellers are the ones that drive ships or airplanes. A propeller’s blades produce a type of force which is known as aerodynamic lift that pushes or pulls an aircraft through the air and pushes a ship through the water.
While the idea of the word utopia is universal, the actual stories that derive from that idea can be very different in nature. The outcome, or even the basis of the story, relies completely upon the authors, or readers view of a prefect society. This is how progress is made, through ideas and thoughts of revolutionary writers in stories we have come to call "utopian."