Pleo torture

[RussSchultz]

http://dvice.com/archives/2007/12/pleo_post.php?p=1&cat=undefined#more

I wonder how many kids are going to do exactly that?

 

[L233]

Shit is getting disturbingly life-like. That actually tickled my empathy instinct a little, and it's a frigging dinosaur toy. It's almost as creepy as that Japanese robot abomination that looks and acts like a baby.

 

[Skrying]

Weird. I have no clue why someone would want such a thing anyway. Seriously, its just creepy and its like a pet for children who's parents never taught them to be responsible.

 

[_xxx_]

It looks like it deserves to be tortured, the evil dinosaur thingy.

 

[pjbliverpool]

Shit is getting disturbingly life-like. That actually tickled my empathy instinct a little, and it's a frigging dinosaur toy. It's almost as creepy as that Japanese robot abomination that looks and acts like a baby.

Now thats Bi-centential man right there!

Awsome!

 

[KimB]

Wow, that was simply hilarious. And somewhat disturbing at the same time, which just made it funnier.

On a more logical note, I think this is an excellent move. It's similar enough to a set of realistic responses to bad treatment that it elicits an empathic response in us, one that is only suppressed if we actively think about the fact that it's just a robot (at least for me). And, what's more, if the kid actually likes to torture their little Cleo, it stops responding altogether after enough time, which prevents cruel behavior from being rewarding.