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- Are hidden messages in the soundtrack for the Pokemon
TV show teaching violent behavior to children? Analysis shows clearly audible
references to guns and dysfunction in the speech of the show's characters.
Are these messages appropriate for a young viewing audience? What values
are being taught through children's television programming?
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- _____
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- Do you ever wonder what your children are watching on
television? If they are like millions of other children in North America,
they are probably watching the hit cartoon series Pokémon.
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- The primary goal in Pokémon is to find, capture
and train various monsters, all in an effort to become the world's greatest
Pokémon trainer. "You teach me and I'll teach you," as
the show's theme song tells us. But children are learning other lessons
as well.
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- In December 1999 Britain's Telegraph reported that "The
latest craze to hit toyshops in Britain has been denounced by US police
as "America's most dangerous hobby" after causing a surge in
child crime. Children across the US are stabbing, beating and robbing
each other to steal Pokemon trading cards, . . . (in) Philadelphia . .
. six children have been arrested for separate attacks on classmates to
steal cards . . . Prosecutors in Orange County, California, have filed
charges against a 13-year-old boy who is accused of stealing a classmate's
Pokemon cards and then running him over with his bicycle."
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- Why are children responding with such violent behavior?
We've applied Retropics speech analysis to an episode of the Pokémon
television series called "The School of Hard Knocks". This approach
has revealed startling new information hidden within the spoken dialogue.
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- The Retropics approach to speech analysis utilizes audio
recording and editing technology to reverse and slow down recordings of
speech. Concentrated listening to the modified recording reveals intelligible
words and phrases hidden backwards within spoken communications.
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- These expressions communicate the beliefs, memories,
and feelings of the speaker in mundane and archetypal language that can
be accurately interpreted through rational and intuitive analysis.
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- Expressions are documented in audio format, presenting
the forward context within which the expression appears, followed by the
hidden expression played back at 100%, 60% and 40% of the original speed.
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- Subjective listening procedures, such as those utilized
by the American National Standards Institute, are still considered by audio
engineers as the best measure of speech intelligibility. Retropics expressions
are documented as authentic, intelligible speech by a computer audio systems
expert with two years of practical daily experience in the recording and
application of these specific speech phenomena.
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- Recent Caltech research shows that our minds can hear
and interpret backwards recordings as intelligible speech. The expressions
presented in our report are therefore unconsciously identified, interpreted
and memorized by the viewers.
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- Do these hidden messages form a part of what Pokémon
teaches children about how to get along with others? Consider the following
examples posted to www.retropics.com.
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- THEY'RE PLAY FAMILY. This expression is found in the
theme song. Does Pokémon provide a quality family experience?
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- GET A GUN. Two children are involved in a dispute. Has
this girl been taught to resolve conflicts through the escalation of force?
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- WE SCREW YOU. Two characters express their affection
towards one of the Pokémon creatures. The male character gives this
expression but is it appropriate?
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- To hear the audio files, visit www.retropics.com. Listen
to these expressions and decide for yourself - are these the lessons we
want to teach young children?
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