Forum - View topic
INTEREST: U.S. Homeland Security Posts Pokémon-Inspired Video, Card Images


Goto page 1, 2, 3  Next

Note: this is the discussion thread for this article

Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Key
Moderator


Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 19154
Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
PostPosted: Thu Sep 25, 2025 11:17 pm Reply with quote
Moderation Warning: Friendly notice that this thread will be watched very closely, so keep things civil.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
TheRealMaria



Joined: 09 Jul 2025
Posts: 123
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2025 2:25 am Reply with quote
Feels like a massive missed opportunity to not use Officer Jenny in some way. Kind of surreal to see genuine shitposting being done on official government accounts though.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
SinisterOracle
Subscriber



Joined: 13 May 2023
Posts: 884
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2025 5:58 am Reply with quote
What in the unholy fudge?! This is absolutely disgusting and I hope there’s a special place in Hell for these people. I’m ashamed of my country.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
GhostStalkerSA



Joined: 17 May 2015
Posts: 471
Location: NYC
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2025 7:24 am Reply with quote
I’ll be honest, When I first saw the headline, my first impression was “How do you do, fellow kids?” but then read the actual article and saw the preview of the clip and my disgust for this bullcrap skyrocketed.

Probably didn’t help that there was a massive anti-ICE protest near the Javits Federal Building and Foley Square (y’know, the courthouses you see on Law and Order) here in Manhattan when I was leaving my city job yesterday, so they’re fresh in my mind. I already get enough stupid ICE recruitment ads on YouTube and during my local newscasts. This should not be a thing ICE spends taxpayer money on at all.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
mgree0032



Joined: 27 Jun 2022
Posts: 316
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2025 7:47 am Reply with quote
It ain’t the first time that a republican president used anime for the twisted agenda. Remember back in 2004 when Bush used anime in his campaign ads and people hated it?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Sakura Shinguji



Joined: 09 Feb 2005
Posts: 220
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2025 7:51 am Reply with quote
I can think of another recent video clip that would gain comedic value with the addition of an anime theme song.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Emerje



Joined: 10 Aug 2002
Posts: 7549
Location: Maine
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2025 8:47 am Reply with quote
Speaking of the legality, it's weird to hear the lawyer saying the company would rather stay out of the spotlight and let things slide than take legal action as if we haven't seen them take legal action against PETA and Palworld and other companies and products they felt infringed on them.

But on the other hand we know this administration doesn't believe retaliation is illegal so if Nintendo sues them they'll just turn around have the FTC torture them in return until they drop the suit.

Emerje
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
Lily Garden



Joined: 03 Sep 2023
Posts: 123
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2025 8:48 am Reply with quote
Regardless of the political leanings of the situation,
I would expect a Cease and Desist letter at least, if not further legal action

While I’ve haven’t in favor of all the things Nintendo has done, I would be pissed if my ultra successful media franchise got associated with a highly contentious political issue in a major market without my consent
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
SaiyanHeretic



Joined: 15 Aug 2025
Posts: 111
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2025 12:05 pm Reply with quote
Nintendo will not take any legal action, because the Trump administration has proven themselves more than petty enough to levy massive retaliatory tariffs.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
AiddonValentine



Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 2978
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2025 12:21 pm Reply with quote
All I would say of Nintendo is "be patient."
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
BrazillianCara



Joined: 31 Dec 2023
Posts: 89
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2025 12:58 pm Reply with quote
Emerje wrote:
Speaking of the legality, it's weird to hear the lawyer saying the company would rather stay out of the spotlight and let things slide than take legal action as if we haven't seen them take legal action against PETA and Palworld and other companies and products they felt infringed on them.

But on the other hand we know this administration doesn't believe retaliation is illegal so if Nintendo sues them they'll just turn around have the FTC torture them in return until they drop the suit.

Emerje


Considering how they have employees with Green Cards in the USA and how this administration has been treating foreigners regardless of legality, this is unfortunately the wisest move for now.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Cypher997



Joined: 08 Apr 2025
Posts: 192
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2025 1:03 pm Reply with quote
AiddonValentine wrote:
All I would say of Nintendo is "be patient."


I'd say they need to hit ICE with a 'Golden Hammer' in legalese, using their IP in such a manner is pretty damaging to it. I may not be a fan of 'Big N's' lawyers but in this case they're in the right, the whole 'enemy of my enemy is my friend' saying very much applies.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Doubleclouder



Joined: 07 Jan 2024
Posts: 168
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2025 1:07 pm Reply with quote
Emerje wrote:
Speaking of the legality, it's weird to hear the lawyer saying the company would rather stay out of the spotlight and let things slide than take legal action as if we haven't seen them take legal action against PETA and Palworld and other companies and products they felt infringed on them.


Nintendo never sued PETA though. Not for Pokémon Black and Blue, Mario Kills Tanuki, the Cooking Mama stuff, or any other parodies they've ever done. They're still available on PETA's website for you to play and watch after all these years. They sued Palworld over alleged patent infringements, not for unauthorized used of IP or copyright.

Lily Garden wrote:
Regardless of the political leanings of the situation,
I would expect a Cease and Desist letter at least, if not further legal action

While I’ve haven’t in favor of all the things Nintendo has done, I would be pissed if my ultra successful media franchise got associated with a highly contentious political issue in a major market without my consent


If companies cared about that they would have to go after many editorial articles, social media posts, and video essays that do just that all the time. Would you be fine with Toei striking down any article, video, or post that attempts to apply real-world politics towards One Piece or Dragonball? How about Bandai going after any post or video that implied SuleMio is canon or has the characters waving pride flags around? After all, according to them the official word is it's all up to interpretation.

If your only problem with this is that it's the Department of Homeland Security/ICE doing it then you're not actually against the idea of people using media franchises for political issues or imposing politics on media, you're only against people doing it for things you disagree with.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Traptrix Lover



Joined: 17 Dec 2022
Posts: 194
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2025 1:53 pm Reply with quote
Fairly boilerplate response from Nintendo. When the Biden Administration used Animal Crossing to recruit voters back in the day they put out a more specific statement condemning the use of their games for political recruitment. Then again there's a big difference between a silly parody video and actively using the online function of a video game aimed at children to spread political messages and recruitment tactics. The video itself is humorous but also kind of lazy editing wise. The cards are better IMO.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
FishLion
Crazy Fangirl



Joined: 24 Jan 2024
Posts: 861
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2025 2:07 pm Reply with quote
Doubleclouder wrote:
If your only problem with this is that it's the Department of Homeland Security/ICE doing it then you're not actually against the idea of people using media franchises for political issues or imposing politics on media, you're only against people doing it for things you disagree with.


That's a very false equivalency.

This is an official entity appropriating IP. A fan or critic analyzing media and finding a message (or adding a pride flag to fan content) is still discussion that is about the series. Talking about a series and talking about what politics or represents is normal media criticism.

Taking popular characters and using them as advertising points for a dumb propaganda campaign is completely different. They are using the notoriety of pokemon and the controversy they knew this would generate to make a point that is completely divorced from Pokemon. Saying the catch phrase of a cartoon and referencing it to then make ghoulish content supporting your point is not the same thing and pretty gross honestly.

Before you say PETA did it, I thought that was pretty gross too. I am not a vegetarian but I do support the ethical treatment of animals and think farming needs to be changed, but making a pokemon style game parody with excessive violence about animal abuse to get the word out is kind of disgusting and I am not a fan of it even though I don't support. The Mario tanuki game was even worse because there isn't even a parallel between real fur coats and magical tanuki leaves, they were clearly just using Nintendo franchise parodies for shock value and that is just as gross as what ICE is doing.

I do mean besides the fact that ICE is trying to whitewash actual crimes instead of spreading awareness about a niche social issue of course. It does make it even grosser they would do that because they are using it justify inhuman torture to the public, but they do both abuse media familiarity in similar ways.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page 1, 2, 3  Next
Page 1 of 3

 


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group