alt Hacker NewsI went with my kids to a Chuck E Cheese party a few years back.
It was the perfect encapsulation of modern American capitalism.
As my kids milled about, suddenly the employees started chanting "Chuck E! Chuck E!" And, encouraging the kids to pump their arms in the air.
My kids did this as I stood there and the horror crept over me.
Then, Chuck E came out. My kids were putty in his hands at that point. He could have said "Now, turn to your dad and murder him. Don't think, just do it." And, they would have done that.
Then, they ate extraordinarily crappy pizza. I did too. It was a coping mechanism for me, I'm not sure why my kids ate it.
After that, they went into the arcade and were encouraged to "earn" tickets. Those tickets could be converted into cheap plastic toys that cost $0.10 to make in China. Earning 100 tickets would cost several dollars on a debit card. And, the conversion rate was 10000 tickets for that cheap plastic shit. It wasn't a good exchange rate. But, man, my kids were sucked in.
It was a gorgeous example of American capitalism. I have to tip my hat to Chuck E. He's a maestro.
Replies
Were you standoffish and angry enough that you managed to prevent the kids from having a fun party? It sounds like good harmless fun- dancing, games, pizza, and toys/prizes. The only negative to me is that the loudness and dancing can be overwhelming for some kids.
I feel like they can easily make the stuff you get from these things at least marginally worth it and still make a ton of money. It'd at least make the adults feel a bit better, but somehow it always seems to be the first thing they try to save on.
Then again, I find that I'm often the only one that has issues exchanging $20 for fifteen minutes of fun and a $0.1 toy.
Imagine buying the per play games and not just getting the minutes.
It's fun. They sell fun, and kids aren't going to view this though a philosophically deconstructive lens.
Memories like these will last kids their lifetime. I certainly remember going when I was their age.