Is the 9/11 Pokemon offensive?

[ashrossy]

I don't think it's offensive, It was most likely there as a easter egg or plain reference. One could even argue it's to raise awareness (not played to that part but is there any mention to it? Or how it affected people?)

No matter what, it's not exactly something to make a big deal of.

 

[Amarok]

Quick, someone inform Julie Peasgood so we can hear her screech about it!

Seriously, if you think this is offensive, go to Route 4 and you can catch Jihadeon. It only knows self-destruct. Nintendo went too far with that one.

There's no such thing.
Sandile, Scraggy and Darumaka are up for grabs in route 4, and there is no Pokémon in existence called Jihadeon.


There is a dragon Pokémon called Zweilous whose Japanese name is Jiheddo, but he has nothing to do with self-destructing, or exploding.

In addition, while just a minor technical gripe, Game Freak designs/makes the Pokémon games, not Nintendo.

No shit, Sherlock. It was clearly a joke.
Sandile are cool. I have a Krokorook in my party which could own a Jihadeon any day.

How am I supposed to realise it's a joke when you started the sentence with the word "seriously"?

You are a trickster, sir or ma'am. A trickster.

 

[Danpascooch]

When Junichi Masuda was asked about this he got very upset that we thought that and assured (over again) thats not what they ever intended
in other words
your reading to much into it.

It's impossible that that's not what they intended, from what I can see the ruined area is in the right spot to be ground zero, and the Pokemon that caused it just happens to be 9'11''? No fucking way that's a coincidence, if they say it is they're backpedaling.

Now as to the matter of whether it's offensive? Yeah it is. It's not "boycott Nintendo or Pokemon" offensive. It's not even "get a little angry" offensive.

It's "look at it, think for a minute, say to yourself "yeah, that's kinda offensive"" and them immediately move on and forget about it, offensive.

In short it's offensive, but it's hardly a big deal.

Please, for the love of god, at least read the entire first freaking page before posting.

You did this in the DA2 thread, too.

( BTW, sorry for being just a total asshole, but this is kinda pissing me off )

I read and was responding to the OP, just like almost everyone does, if an error in the OP caused a misunderstand, that's the OP's fault, not mine, I can't be expected to read through all of the comments in a thread just to respond to the OP.

 

[Danpascooch]

When Junichi Masuda was asked about this he got very upset that we thought that and assured (over again) thats not what they ever intended
in other words
your reading to much into it.

It's impossible that that's not what they intended, from what I can see the ruined area is in the right spot to be ground zero, and the Pokemon that caused it just happens to be 9'11''? No fucking way that's a coincidence, if they say it is they're backpedaling.

The pokemon in question is 9'10" (I've caught it, and originally it's 3 meters anyway) and it's found in a little rural town in the north-east. I don't really see any connection here.
Also half of "manhattan" is a desert in the game, and somehow this means Ground zero?
But even if all of it would be true, I don't see how it would really be offensive. A bit tasteless maybe but who cares?

I was basing my post around a flawed OP and a flawed article, even with that false information making it look bad, I still never thought it was a big deal, just a bit tasteless.

But now that I know the real info, I totally don't care, not that I cared more than a minimal amount to begin with.

 

[Blue_vision]

Well, I don't think it's really offensive, but it's pointless.

I mean, why would you include ground zero as an wasteland, and a 9/11 Pokemon without any purpose? If something's actually trying to do something serious with the subject, I would not stop them in the slightest. But if people are just throwing it out there (presumably for shits n' giggles,) it does seem a tad bit insensitive.

 

[FallenTraveler]

I think it is a really interesting reference and am in no way offended by it. I actually LIKE that they were respectful of our history, and weren't coy in bringing it up, and I think if in a few years they make a reference to the japan quakes, that could be really interesting too.

I love the fact that this was a pokemon game... kind of surprised that FOX hasn't hit this yet... I mean they just got to duke so I spose it makes sense...

 

[Theron Julius]

Um, has anybody mentioned that the Japanese use the metrics system, so the size of the pokemon has to be either an American decision, or it is likely a coincidence.

Indeed. First of all the Pokemon isn't 9'11". It's actually 9'10". Anyway, everywhere else in the world he would just be 3 meters in any other part of the world. Doesn't seem terribly unreasonable to make a Pokemon's height a nice whole number, does it?

 

[CarpathianMuffin]

Coincidence or not, who cares? I fail to see how it's offensive.

 

[MasterChief892039]

I'm sure others have pointed this out by now, by the Bulbapedia entry cited in the article says the pokemon is 9"10, not 11. And no where in the article is it mentioned that the pokemon fell from a meteor, which is something you would expect to be in there considering the legendaries tend to have more lore than other pokemon (though that tidbit could be in the game, I don't know, haven't played it).

 

[EllEzDee]

I always thought Cracked made funny articles, or at least the few i've read reflected that.
That article was fucking horrible. This comment sums my thoughts up perfectly:
"! WTF i just read? where is the comedy or the irony or the satyre? who gives a crap about this anymore? After Haiti, after Chile, after j*pan!"

 

[Nostalgia]

Unintentional or not, it's pretty interesting. Is it because it's a desert that it's offensive? I don't feel particularly offended at all, no matter what they were actually going for.

Seems like someone making a big deal out of nothing.

 

[tmarrsy]

The Pokemon is actually 9 foot 10. look on this web site http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-bw/646.shtml as you can see it is all fake

 

[Dexiro]

How is referencing 9/11 offensive?

Sure if Pokemon was openly shouting "OH LOL 9/11, WHAT A LAUGH THAT WAS" then yes that is offensive. But the mere presence of it isn't at all, that's like saying the wikipedia article for 9/11 is offensive for referencing 9/11.

 

[GiantRaven]

If I was Game Freak, I'd be offended that my game had some crack-pot conspiracy theory about 9/11 concocted and then included in an article where every other item on the list has clear ties to 9/11.