"Game Night" always looks great in commercials: wholesome, functional families, laughing over a game of Yahtzee - as if to say, "dice games will foster self-worth and security in your children." Unless, of course, they are playing craps.
What those 'game night' commercials fail to show is the fistfight that occurs when one die lands crooked on the floor, and that die is the difference between 24 points and 50 points. Nor do they accurately portray the headache that comes from rolling 6 dice in a cup for 7 hours. Or the boredom. Just once I'd like to see an accurate portrayal of the mediation that accompanies a Milton Bradley game.
This is why the Wii and Nintendo have supplanted games as a 'thing to do.' Fundamentally, it is not the kids who are obsessed with these devices, but the parents. And that is because parents know that a Nintendo will provide a maximum bicker free zone. This is also why we send our children to school. It is not to foster a love of learning or intellectual curiosity, but simply to buy some peace and quiet.
tlc
