I honestly didn't know how to react when I first saw this story on Tech Digest about how Peekaboo, a stripper merchandise website best known for the Carmen Electra-endorsed Electra pole is looking for a partner to help develop a pole dancing game for the Wii.
At first, I thought that this must be a prank like The Onion's article on the sluggish sales of Sousaphone Hero or the U.S. presidential campaign website for Christopher Walken.
But, in fact, the story seems legitimate. A press release on Peekaboo's website explains the company is indeed in talks to create a pole dancing video game – unfortunately without Carmen Electra:
"Peekaboo and its partners are focussed on using Wii friendly hardware to make aerobic pole dancing instantly accessible just as Guitar Hero did for rock’n’roll."
The press release also extolls the fitness virtues of pole dancing and clearly wishes to translate those benefits onto the most "active" console system, even if a recent study indicates the workout with a Wii doesn't replace real exercise. Still, the press release states:
"Men and women of all shapes and sizes will be encouraged to work on improving their skills, with the firm focus on fun and fitness as per the core brand values of Nintendo Wii."
Seriously, though, who does Peekaboo think the Wii's target audience is? Sure "adults" play video games too, sometimes even seniors. (Of course this game might give the older generation heart palpitations.)
But when it comes to the Wii, if it's not part of some social experiment, most adults play it with their children. And the thought a parent playing a stripper game with their child is quite disturbing.
And although the game may be of interest to girl gamers, (which, of course, Nintendo has in spades because of all those games featuring cute cartoonish mushrooms and elves with pointy hair) I can't see why a heterosexual boy would want to play it.
I mean, unless there's a computer-generated woman that takes off a piece of clothing at the end of each level. Then boys would come out in droves. We'll play just about anything if it promises a glimpse of naked female flesh. We're even willing to simply draw lines for hours on end.
I guess if it was a multiple player game it might offer some appeal. Of course, I'm sure Nintendo And Peekaboo would get an angry phone call when daddy comes home early from his simonizing convention in Tupelo to find his 13-year-old daughter writhing up and down on the official Wii Pole, ripping off and twirling her wireless bra with motion sensors (the training model) while dancing around to Tom Jones' "Sex Bomb." All the while the 14-year-old boy from next door is sitting on the couch next to her, cross-legged, hands clasped over the Wiimote in his lap. Perhaps there'd even be grounds for a lawsuit. Especially if the girl were to lick the pole and electrocute herself. (I wonder what ESRB rating covers that.)
But then maybe this whole thing is just a joke. Peekaboo could just be trying to create a viral marketing meme to get more people to go to its site. It certainly is a strange place. You can buy a variety of products, ranging from the Electra Pole to Sculpta Sutra – a three-dimensional guide to the Kama Sutra, to a pornographic Twister called The Bedroom Boogie Game.
But what's stranger is that Peekaboo seems to want to be a social network for exotic dancers, complete with pole dancing tips, stripper news, reviews of bars and clubs and an area where dancers can upload photos of them in action.
I'm sure if the pole dancing video game launches you'll also be able to find the online high scores there too.
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