NPR hates you and it hates the Wii you bought for your kid. Kelly McBride, a parent, went on the air the other day to attack other parents for buying their kids Nintendo Wiis. McBride says that although the Wii gets your kid off the couch and his arms moving around, it gives a child “a false sense of what it’s like to compete in the world.” Ouch! Could she say anything worse? You betcha. The commentary goes on to explain how Wii Sports is terrible, how kids need to learn real sports, and a few other tidbits.
I listen to a lot of NPR, so I know the style this commentary was probably presented in and realize it was probably a bit harsh. But do I agree with Kelly and her anti-Wii crusade? Absolutely. Kids need to get their asses off of that couch and keep walking to the door so they can go outside to play. Snowing? Who cares, grab that cheapo Nerf football and toss it around. Maybe you kids will actually have some fun for a change. I think it’s OK to play Wii Sports and games that emulate physical activity, but you shouldn’t use it as a total replacement for exercise. Just my two cents.
NPR commentary says Wi… [Ars Technica]
Relatively the Wii is better for kids than the gaming alternatives instead of sitting doing nothing they are getting up and even getting a sweat on. Maybe it doesnt fix the problem but someone complaining about kids playing video games is a far cry from fixing anything!
I haven’t heard such a biased view for a long time. It’s funny to tell somebody that actuallu sitting in front of TV is better than moving in front of it. It’s like saying that it’s better to sit and play “regular” videogames than to excercise in front of TV (watching exercise program).
Keeping kids from doing anything they want to be doing is going to make them hate everything else. Kelly’s a beaatch with too much time on her hands. Wii is better than kids going outside at 5pm when its already dark and throwing iceballs into your living room window. I lived the life of “no, you can’t play videogames” and did all the mischeif I could as an alternative.
Let me get this straight….
Getting a Wii for your kid will prevent them from having active, competitive lives? Thanks, NPR. I would have never known.
ya right its better than sittin around and being fat like some people we know??
Sounds like someone got their butt kicked on Wii Sports Bowling.
Loser!
There are bigger problems than the Wii — Vince Veneziani is attempting to make an argument, but he can’t spell or even proofread his work!
Hey, at least it gets the kid off the sofa. There are a lot of worse things the parents could buy, like every single other video game console.
Looks like someone couldn’t get a wii for their kid. Sounds like wii envy to me. Besides, the wii is better than sitting around and doing nothing
So why does she let her kids play it? Someone needs to let her know that when she is a child’s “Mom” that means she is the parent and she gets the luxery of selecting the media (and physical activity) that they enjoy.
She could force them into a sport they don’t enjoy so she can be a “soccer mom”.
She’s just jealous that Nintendo got them off their fat arses when she couldn’t….
I remember when NPR was running commentaries about the dangers of “competitive sports” and gave examples of kids soccer where they didn’t keep score as a way of protecting a childs self esteem…
It’s the Village Voice of radio. NPR is where nitwhits gather to try to make themselves feel smart by surrounding themselves with their collective ingorance.
It really needs to be pointed out that NPR does not necessarily share the opinions of it’s contributors. It is PUBLIC radio. Anyone can give their own opinion in a PUBLIC forum. That does not mean the party providing the forum is endorsing any comments put forth. This Vince Veneziani is obviously a hack with very little journalistic skill or integrity. Clearly the woman in the article has some bug up her ass but that just goes to show NPR will let any moron spew their half-digested ideas across the airwaves.
Rudy wrote: “I haven’t heard such a biased view for a long time.” Well you just got a two-for-one moron. Shame on the ignorant NPR haters.
Shes not a “concerned” parent, shes a competitive parent who wants to show off her kid as a trophy
@ Tom:
Very true and valid argument.
Umm… that person probably doesn’t understand what video games has done for our society. When video games first were put out the crime rate dropped, Just ask Hillary Clinton. she has tried to kill video games many of times, but every time she tries too, she ends up proving that video games are helping our world. Giving many people the ability to do the things that they couldn’t. So, Kelly McBride, if i didn’t have legs and I was 5, u still wouldn’t want me to play tennis on the Wii? Even though that may not of been what she was thinking about, it still goes that video games help you escape reality. Let it be killing countless enemies, or playing a sport; what ever it is it is just for fun.
And here is the main point that she might of been thinking about, but wasn’t smart enough to think of it and state it clearly. Kids need to be active, don’t let them hide in their rooms all day. There is a world out there, let them explore it. Take the whole family on a picnic, go make time for your kids. It’s the best way to get them active. Otherwise they will probably become fat Americans. (I’m an American so don’t hating :p) It’s nobody’s fault that your kids hate you and become fat and stupid but the parents. as much as they would like to blame the media its the parents that make excuses and put off their kids.
So Kelly McBride think before you talk next time, or you will just looks even stupider for not looking up on what you talking about on NPR or wherever.
I think kelly mc bride is so bored she decided to attack a kids toy if the kid likes the wii let him play the wii just because you are to old to enjoy it
wii is not bad for kids iam 9 years old and i play if you dont like wii then your stupid
what happens if it is raining out side for almost a month and you are dieing to play a sport all you have to do is flip on a switch and get to the game
i think the wii is the best thing nintendo has ever made well… that and zelda and the ocarina of time for the nintendo64 i say SCREW you kelly mcbride you fat @$$ cracker havin B*@$#!!!
Oh ya, and she forgot to mention that Grand Theft Auto is terrible for them as well, because kids need to get up off the couch and learn how to kill real people and sell real drugs. When you think about it, it’s almost the same thing. If she doesn’t want her kids playing Wii, why doesn’t she make them go outside herself? Because she’s probably too busy trying to sue Nintendo for making kids lazy (even though its the first video game console that tries to get kids moving) and forgetting about it after it’s all over with, happily watching her kids play wii in thier new $1.5 million dollar house on her flat-screen TV and telling them to pretend to hate anything that is popular, then sue!. Seriously, every day someone else sues microsoft, nintendo, or apple for something completely stupid, just because they have lots of money to pay out if they have to.
Im 14 years old and I know for experiance that the games on wii make me want to get out and explore the accual games. On wii sports I have now tried all the sports that was on there it has incourged me to get out and try the real thing I still play the wii and I love it!