Pokémon's Out Of Date?

Posted by Sambow from Cardiff - Published on 12/06/2010 at 12:33
13 comments » - Tagged as Culture, People, Topical

Did the very title of this article open up those suppressed memories of when you were seven?

As if the new adverts aren’t already doing the same thing.

But if we’re all honest (really, really honest) I’m sure those memory’s are not suppressed at all.

Yeah. That’s right - I’m talking about Pokémon. The show that probably shaped most of our childhood’s and became the first thing we we’re ever proud to show we had knowledge in. Heck, you could win a Nobel Prize in Quantum Physics today’s and still not be as cool as the kid in your class who could name all a hundred and fifty one backwards.

I mean of course everyone will hide the fact that they may still remember the “good old days” where it was considered epic to have over a hundred Pokémon cards.

Brag about it today and you might get punched, sad to say but it’s quite true. Of course you have your Facebook groups which will reminisce over these memories and more than likely poke fun at them but I’m sure there are some people, maybe a few, who could imagine things a little differently.

I’m not just talking about Pokémon here; whatever you used to like (or still like), does it honestly become outdate by itself?

Do You Ever Get Too Old To Like Something?

Given we may have all outdated the Teletubbies seeing as that was a show with walking, talking, chubby monsters and a baby trapped helplessly behind a sun. But when it comes down to things like ballet, football, TV shows - do we get to old for them?

Society seemed to assume so.

It seems we are expected to move with the times, even if we don’t want to. We are expected to be more interested in Justin Bieber than Cartoon Network’s TV schedule. And we do go along with it. Maybe we do it subconsciously? Maybe we actually do want to move on from those childhood memories and count ourselves as young adults now.

Nothings wrong with that, nothing at all.

But this expectation of liking certain things is slightly odd, isn’t it? I mean, who told us what we should like when we get to a certain age. No one I would listen to I’m sure.

Tempting Fete

I remember when I was with my family at a fete once; there was by my standards a magnificent raffle store with fabulous prizes. Many of them consisted of wine bottles and assorted soapy things but what I had my eyes on was a huge stuffed caveman. I had been around every stall in the fete and was ready to use my last 50p to but a ticket for the raffle. The women running it happily gave me a ticket and I read the number carefully.

My prize was a full box of varying nail varnishes.

The women smiled at me after giving me the prize saying “You must be very happy with that prize, girls your age must love that sort of thing.” To be perfectly honest I was quite disappointed. I must have been when I was about ten that I won that prize and I still have it today. Of course I opened it and gave them ago but please, why would a ten year old want to paint their nails?

Thinking back at it now I wonder why you are suddenly expected to move from old loves that you have grown up with for years. Yes, I know what you’re all probably thinking. Maturity should change your likes and dislikes. It should.

Embarrassment?

There’s where I see a flaw. Why should you be embarrassed? Okay you might be considered to old to like a certain thing but are you simply considered too old to like it because everyone else said so!

It may sound a bit stupid but who was the first one to start becoming embarrassed because they liked something? Did they feel embarrassed because everyone else had grown out of it? Maybe it’s that feeling that makes everyone else grow out of things, the want to move along on with the world and keep up with everyone else.

That’s depressing. I know there are a lot of people out there holding onto there old love, buying the oh-so-coveted Pokémon Red, digging up their old ballet shoes, singing along with an old Disney movie!

And I applaud you for it, I join in with you!

Sounds sad?

Nah, not to me. Sure we may live in a generation fuelled by the need to fit in and the need to make you like a certain type of music or dress a certain way but can it really trample upon our past as well? I won’t let it. I don’t believe it should. I think if there’s one thing I can hang onto it’s my right to like what I like, whatever it is!

People are always changing, even what they love changes and that in itself can further society. But I don’t think anyone should make us feel embarrassed about what we used to or still like because that’s our own right. It’s our own personal opinion!

Oh well. I may be a teenager but I can still name three hundred Pokémon! And guess what?

I’m proud.

See Also: RIP Kenan & Kel

13 Comments – Post a comment

gesture

Commented 23 months ago - 12th June 2010 - 12:39pm

The hat says it all, we need the photos of that night

Sam (Sub-Editor)

Commented 23 months ago - 12th June 2010 - 12:40pm

I gave all my toys away to younger kids or charity shops... apart from my Lego. That's still in the attic.

A Boy

Commented 23 months ago - 12th June 2010 - 12:59pm

wow, yes, pokemon, that took up much of my childhood! i agree with you, people are expected to move on with the crowd and follow trends. Also, i think that maturing does change you likes and dislikes, i have formed a overwhelming passion for music as i've grown.

Anyway, amazing article! very enjoyable and awoke my pokemon memories, oh how i love Ditto!

Sambow

Commented 23 months ago - 12th June 2010 - 16:39pm

Am I glad everyone else used to like Pokemon, That Pikachu hat may have confused alot of people otherwise...
I'm also glad they like ramblers on theSprout it's a great creative rage outlet!
Thanks for the comments guys :)

@ A Boy
You said it all, Ditto rocks.

lemonnhead

Commented 23 months ago - 12th June 2010 - 20:01pm

Yup, I still do ballet and happily watch and sing along to old disney films and songs! And I have a couple of stuffed toys that I refuse to let go of! I don't give a damn what people think! Good on you for writing this! Great article, made me laugh!

fattigalupo333

Commented 23 months ago - 13th June 2010 - 08:14am

where's jiggely puff in the picture ;(

cardiffgirl

Commented 23 months ago - 13th June 2010 - 10:28am

Actually, i never liked pokemon (Im a weirdo) I always liked Bayblades. (im a saddo)

Keep it cool
Cardiffgirl

A Boy

Commented 23 months ago - 13th June 2010 - 17:45pm

@ Cardiff girl
:O i loved beyblades to! As well as pokemon. I think I still have the beyblades and the arena in the attic!

Sambow

Commented 23 months ago - 13th June 2010 - 18:10pm

Actually that's one of the shows I failed to mention, Pokemon, Digimon, Yu Gi Oh and BeyBlades that's the anime I grew up with.
Despite really disliking BeyBlades for having no real plot I continued to watch it everyday XD

RoLouG

Commented 22 months ago - 9th July 2010 - 19:24pm

brilliant absolutely brilliant!n loved the description of the teletubbies!
i remember several "Crazes" from primary school, Crazy Bones being one of them! and of course Bayblades! Its not sad! they were really "In style" back then!
I suppose the reason people grow out of things like bayblades and crazy bones, it you get bored of them after a while. But i so agree about disney movies! The Aristocats is still awesome, 10 years on from when i first watched it!

kelleee

Commented 22 months ago - 19th July 2010 - 12:29pm

heyyy (: i dont think its sad at all! childhood crazes make you what you are! im 19 and i still love playing pokemon, i get excited when they bring out a new game (: i love all the old school disney movies, you cant beat a good sing along to mary poppins!! i dont know whats happening to tv these days but whats wrong with watching kenan and kel and saved by the bell? or dexters lab and the powerpuff girls! (: your never too old to forget about childhood toys!

Sambow

Commented 22 months ago - 27th July 2010 - 11:39am

Ah, The good old days where I would rush in from school and watch cartoon network until nine at night. I always loved dexters lab and can proudly say I have the pokemon themes on my ipod :D