The Sims II, My Attempt to Have Deep Thoughts About a Shallow Video Game

Okay, here’s the thing. I think I’ve said this before, but I truly believe that the way you play Sims gives you a mirror into the way you’d like to manage your life. For instance, I can only play Sims in a way that attempts to make all of the characters as happy as possible. This illustrates a trait in my every day life (and a peek into my psychosis). I am sensitive about how people are thinking and I don’t mean this to sound as though I am a total humanitarian; all this really means is that I’ve learned that it’s very important to pay attention to small gestures and signs from others to determine how I might keep myself safe and out of trouble. I don’t like conflict and so I play the Sims in a way that allows for the least amount of unhappiness. This means that I am somewhat of a control freak. I don’t like things to go awry. I don’t like my Sims to be too distressed; to have to pee or to be hungry or lonely. I must make sure that they are completely fine on very superficial levels (and the game reinforces this—as long as they have all their needs met—physically or psychologically—they are happy). Which basically means that I don’t really enjoy playing Sims; it’s stressful because the game is also geared toward chaos and disappointment; the characters always want more, more, more (just like real people; just like me). And then you have my friends Liz and Luke who are much more laid back. Liz plays the game in a leisurely way, like, Oh, wait, Corey Crouton is about to faint from hunger? Whoops! And Luke is even less concerned. In fact, he sometimes plays the game in a way that creates problems for the characters. He lets Corey Crouton flirt with the neighbor in front of his wife, risking being slapped and hated. He allows Corey to wet himself and to be so hungry that he faints. It doesn’t bother Luke.

I could try to enjoy other aspects of the game, such as decorating or making perfect homes, but I don’t.

Went to an art opening last night in Northern Liberties where there was a naked man who had painted his penis blue. It was a multimedia experience; you could go to a screen and choose a video option to project on his organ. For instance, if you pulled the “tickle me” option, a Tickle Me Elmo would dance across his private area. He was not for sale. My favorite was a painting where the hand of the person in the painting was coming out of the canvas. Beyond that were four pink life sized paper penguins on the floor in front of the painting. Odd and funny. Okay, now I will try to write fiction for just a little tiny bit.