Pokémon: An international cultural phenomenon: Difference between revisions

Notoriety has also had a great deal to do with the referencing of the franchise. Perhaps the most infamous ''Pokémon'' episode of all, "{{bp|EP038|Dennō Senshi Porigon}}" has been the butt of numerous jokes. In ''The Simpsons'' episode "{{wp|Thirty Minutes over Tokyo}}", Bart turns on the television and finds a children’s program. He has just enough time to exclaim that this is the program which gives people seizures before the robot character’s eyes start flashing on screen, causing the entire family to collapse and convulse. The ''{{wp|South Park}}'' episode "{{wp|Chinpokomon}}" features a Japanese Pokémon-like phenomenon which brainwashes almost all of the children. Kenny, while playing one of the ''Chinpokomon'' games, suffers a seizure and dies. Both episodes were aired in 1999, shortly after the incident. {{wp|Ling-Ling}}, a character from Comedy Central's ''{{wp|Drawn Together}}'' is a clear parody of Pikachu, being able to generate "beam" attacks and having a previous history with a trainer. Again referencing "Dennō Senshi Porigon", at one point in time he states that his goal in life is to give children seizures. A brief reference was also given in the 2004 novel ''{{wp|So Yesterday (novel)|So Yesterday}}'' by science fiction author {{wp|Scott Westerfeld}}; one of the characters has a seizure when watching the episode.

The Pokémon franchise has left an indelible and humourous imprint on our society. It has been referenced so many times that it is impossible to cover all the occurances in just a single article. From parodies to passing mentions, from automotive designs to biochemical processes, the phenomenom that is Pokémon has left a lasting impression on culture all across the globe. One can only eagerly anticipate how it will be referenced again in the future.