I found myself being ready for work extremely early a few weeks ago. I had nothing left to do but sit and wait for 7:30 to roll around so I could take my son to school. He himself was ready early too. So we sat and watched the Pokemon cartoon for a little bit.

My son is into Pokemon, and although I knew the name of the show, and a few characters, I never really knew what the show was about. Pokemon began in Japan, one of many countries in Asia where Cockfighting, and other forms of pet fighting is still allowed, accepted and wagered upon.

Fingers on a chalkboard, or a screwdriver to the eyeball, would have been more entertaining to me than this show. It had no meaning, or point to it, like the Scooby-Doo, Justice League, or He-Man, cartoons of yore did. Bad plotlines, terrible dubbing, and overdone, pointless “walking-into-the-sunset” scenes riddles this goofy show. Through all this my son sat glassy eyed, spellbound, mouth agape, lips acting like a drool dam. There went 30 minutes of my life I would never get back!

I did notice that the only recurring theme to the show was that the human characters were making their Pet Pokemon do battle, over and over again. Words like “honor” and “revenge” were bandied about in the dialogue.

I kept thinking of Michael Vick and his Dog Fighting crime as the show dragged on. 7:30, finally! I had a perfect reason to shut the TV off and take my son to school. While in the car I told him about my childhood experiences with Cockfighting in Asia, how it was a pastime that ended up in one, or both of the Roosters meeting a very painful and agonizing death at the end of the battle, and how it reminded me of the Pokemon show. I also told him that pets were to be treated with love and care. They were not money makers, or fighters, and that they should be treated as part of the family. He seemed to understand. I’m not sure I like him watching the show anymore. I know it’s only a cartoon, but little things like these are what desensitize young minds to things that may crop up in their adult life. Here’s hoping against hope that this show’s days are numbered.