SOS Could Save the Day

Friday, April 29, 2005

Page 15

AT THE SIDEBAR (Column)

SOS Could Save the Day

By J’AMY PACHECO

Several months ago, I wrote here about an online game to which my family had subscribed. Created by Disney, “ToonTown” quickly became a family favorite, beating out television by a long shot.

Over the months, we’ve managed to suck most of our family friends into our addiction. On weekends, our computer keyboards never have a chance to cool off. One member of our family or another can almost always be found online throwing cakes or squirting flowers at evil cogs, or feeding jellybeans to our “Doodle” pets so they’ll do back flips or play dead.

I confess my husband and I both find the game to be a wonderful way to unwind. Nothing erases a bad day faster than dropping a piano on the head of a “Bean Counter” or a “Corporate Raider.” Few things make me laugh more than communicating with total strangers using speed chat phrases like, “Stand back, this could be dangerous,” “Well shiver me timbers” and “Lovely weather for ducks.” We soon found ourselves signing on regularly to play with people we know (and like) in the real world.

As my enjoyment of the game grew, so did the strength of the ‘toon my daughter created for me, a pink cat named “Tinkerbaby.” These days, I can battle with the best of them, having earned an arsenal of gags — toon-ish weapons – that allows me to toss layer cakes or squirt water from a fire hose when necessary.

Tinkerbaby recently made it into the big leagues, battling the worst-of-the-worst in the cog world: the VP. In doing so, she earned rewards that I quickly realized would be helpful in the real world.

In defeating the VP, toons successfully free another toon who has been held prisoner by the evil top cog. In gratitude, these newly-freed toons bestow gifts upon the toons who rescue them, allowing their rescuers to summon them — via an “SOS” — one time for help in battle.

When summoned, SOS toons appear and sprinkle the bad guys with pixie dust, causing them to do something that aids the toon who called for help. (In my case, for example, an SOS toon “hypnotized” the bad guys to enable my toon pals and I to quickly defeat them while they dozed.)

A few days after I used my first SOS toon, I sat in a real-life parking lot watching wisps of steam come from under the hood of my car. My road service provider was eventually able to take care of the problem, but I couldn’t help thinking how much easier things would have been if I could have summoned an ally who could have sprinkled my car with pixie dust to fix the darned hose, then and there. Not only would it be convenient, but getting a visit from a cartoonish dog or monkey surely would have erased my annoyance.

The idea appealed to me, and I realized there were many instances in which people could use an SOS toon.

Let’s say your neighbor has formed a one-man rock and roll band, and can only practice at night. (Like mine.) You could send out an SOS, and a little cartoon animal would show up to sprinkle pixie dust. Before you knew it, the neighbor would be hypnotized into silence, or a giant thunder- and lightening storm would quickly form over his house.

Or, let’s say you’re hungry, tired and already in your jammies. Nothing looks good in the pantry or fridge, and you already ordered pizza twice this week. What to do?

If summoned, an SOS toon could show up and do its pixie dust thing, filling your pantry with microwave popcorn and chocolate chip cookies, and dropping a nice chilled bottle of Chardonnay and a gallon of ice-cold milk— fat free, of course — into your fridge.

Stuck in traffic? An SOS toon could sprinkle sparkles that would allow you to drive right over the cars in your way. (Of course, you could do the same thing with a monster truck, a Hummer or your own Sherman Tank, but with the SOS toon, you wouldn’t end up in jail, or in a face-to-face meeting with your liability insurance carrier.)

In a pinch, an SOS toon would be a good thing to have. It could fill your vehicle tank with gas, your pen with ink, or your mind with good ideas.

Teachers could use them to quiet unruly students, and police officers could use them to squelch unruly rioters. Students who forget to study could get one-time relief, and homemakers faced with mounds of dishes could get a good night’s sleep instead of dish pan hands.

Ah, if only it could be so easy. It would be…toontastic!