Miss Bimbo

For every concerned doctor and terrified mother who watch young women destroy their bodies for popularity, there is someone happily, and not always intentionally, perpetuating the problem.

Welcome to the land of Miss Bimbo! "Become the most famous, beautiful, sought after bimbo across the Globe!"

"Find your own cool place to live. Find a fun job to pay for your needs and all the clothes a Bimbo could possibly want. Shop for the latest fashions and become the trendsetting bimbo in town! Become a socialite and skyrocket to the top of fame and popularity. Date that famous hottie you've had your eye on and show the Bimbo world the social starlet you are! Even resort to meds or plastic surgery. Stop at nothing to become the reigning bimbo!"

Stop at nothing. Even resort to meds or plastic surgery. STOP AT NOTHING!

This is the message that we teach young women in this country. The message in and of itself is not a bad one (hear me out). When we teach them to work towards their goals and dreams, we should impart the idea of 'Stop At Nothing'. They need to learn about hard work and persistence.

However, 'Stop At Nothing' is extreme thinking which can lead to promiscuous sex, adultery, drugs and other behaviors harmful to your psyche and body, especially in the entertainment field.

For this young generation, being "Famous" is the ultimate goal. Think about YouTube: Broadcast Yourself. How often do funny, horrifying or impressive videos wind up on major websites, television shows or even referenced in movies?

But let's talk more about this game. Let's talk about how the values it sets forth are permeating our youth. Dr. TimValko, a psychologist from Toledo, cites a comparison to a real world patient. "I just had a patient. One of her friends taught her how to vomit to lose weight so they would be attractive for other boys in her class. And she's in the fourth grade.” A nine year old with bulimia, and all for the attention of boys. This is the example set by this game.

The game's web promoter, Chris Evans, argues for the positive influences: “What about loving your bimbo? What about taking care of your bimbo? Sending it to university? The quality aspects of the game have been completely ignored.” My first big problem with this statement, for there are several, is the reference to the Bimbo as an "it". I realize that the game is intended to be compared to Tamagochi's, the hand-held electronic pet, but that is hardly an excuse for that mindset. Secondly, pretending that university is an expectation, even a possibility, is ridiculous seeing as how your Bimbo starts off with an IQ of 70. For those of you who are unaware, that is one point above mental retardation. "And you can't raise your I.Q. in the game," steams Valko.

The game has received quite a bit of attention from the medical profession. "This is as lethal as pro-anorexia websites," Dee Dawson, medical director at Rhodes Farm Clinic, which treats girls aged from eight to 18 who suffer eating disorders, told The Times. 'Players compete in beauty contests and send text messages to the site to earn currency in the game, which is then used to pay for lingerie, diet pills, breast enhancement and face lifts.'

One of the scary things about this phenomenon is that parents would be almost completely in the dark about it if it weren't for their phone bill. Although it is free to play, when the contestants run out of virtual dollars they have to send cell phone text messages costing $3 each or use PayPal to top up their accounts. This shows up as a cell phone charge which Daddy pays ( seems to fit into the theme of the game, doesn't it?)

This game is one of too many bricks in the wall between our youth and a healthy self-image. We have to work not only to tear down this wall, but to prevent more building.