My thoughts on the Piñata

You know what I got to thinking about today?

Piñatas.
Why your probably asking – well let me tell you why my dear friends.

In our society we hear all the time how our children are being warped by all the violence in video games and television. And I tend to agree at least with the statement that things have gotten more violent, whether or not “Call of Duty” or “Grand Theft Auto” are to blame, I don’t know.

But I do know our entertainment has always been a little violent. I mean look at Tom & Jerry or even Popeye. Hell even the Care Bears had that wicked stare. Most of the shows youths watch revolve around the good guys beating up on some villain they’ve decided is deserving for their wrath.

But the Piñata is my favorite. It’s been around for centuries and is a whimsical game played at celebrations, but what is the Piñata really? Take away the cultural aspects and a Piñata becomes a paper Mache figure decorated in bright happy colors in which you take a bat or stick and beat the crap out of it for fun. Children mutilate these toys until they’re beyond recognition and what is their reward? Candy of course. Rather than guts the sweet filled animal contains suckers, chocolates, gummies, and usually small toys. What exactly does this practice teach our children; sub conscience or not? Violence has always been all around us just the graphic, realistic and reasoning behind it has changed. We used to bash open Piñatas for the candy inside now we blow away the competition with AK47’s so we can see their body parts spewed all over. And do you remember when Mom’s were upset over the original Mortal Combat because a red line that somehow represented blood would on occasion fly out if you hit your opponent hard enough. Maybe the problem isn’t that things are more violent in nature its that they’re more realistic. What once was a red line shooting out an arm is now a pile of intestines, limbs, and blood thrown on the ground as an aftermath.

Maybe we should just go back to the Piñata, an apparently harmless form of violence in the eyes of America.

Just my random illogical rant on Piñatas.