The Nintendo Wii has a new game called Wii Fit. It is basically a game where you jump around on a platform and through how skilled and proficient at jumping on the platform you are, the game rates your fitness level. You can also enter your age, height and weight and the game gives you your BMI -- body mass index. A ten-year-old girl, apparently, was told she is fat by the game; her parents were not thrilled.
The girl's father said that his daughter wasn't fat she was merely "well built," leading me to believe the child is absolutely humongous. And you know what? Maybe a video game calling our kids fat isn't the best thing in the world -- but it certainly isn't the worst.
We are a fat, video-gaming, television watching, slothful-ass society. American kids are fat. I think letting ourselves slip physically as a society is much worse than a child having their feelings hurt.
In fact, maybe we should have more things that call us fat. Potato chip bags -- you open them and an obnoxious voice says, "Really fat-ass. Think again." Or the T.V. when you click the power on -- "How 'bout a sit-up, waste."
I'm not saying this is a perfect solution, but it's progressive, right? I don't think complete insensitivity is the answer, but I know that coddling and telling everyone their perfect isn't the way to go either. We all have room for improvement and need to be reminded of that from time to time. The Wii knows this and is a step ahead of the curve... no matter how sick its computer sense of humor may be.
No comments:
Post a Comment