this post was submitted on 11 May 2025
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.

Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:

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These days I have been playing the catalog of the PlayStation 1 and 2 games that marked me when I was young or at the time I couldn't play: the trilogy of Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Rayman, Jak and Daxter, Sly Cooper, Ratchet and Clank, etc.. And I realized that nowadays you practically don't see characters like that in video games anymore.

Just as there was a time when all games were made for children, nowadays it seems that all games are made for teenagers and adults. Even those that don't seem to be, such as Astrobot, appeal to the nostalgia of the more adult public.

What kind of heroes does my nephew have, for example? There's Sonic, and it's something in which we have a connection, but Sonic and other heroes that still remain current, like Mario or Link, are from an era that long predates him and perhaps for him they feel more like a thing of the past, similar to how I feel about Sailor Moon or Mazinger Z, which were heroes of my older siblings and parents respectively.

I don't know of any heroes that are specifically intended to appeal to young people like my nephew, at least not in a "wholesome" way. Much of what he likes was not made with the child audience in mind, such as Five Nights At Freddy's or Among Us; and what does, was made for more predatory motives, such as Poppy Playtime or Garten of Banban. The only thing I can think of is Minecraft and.... I don't know, it just doesn't add up for me.

My nephew doesn't have a Crash, a Spyro, a Sly to be nostalgic about when he gets to my age.

It's a little... Bleak...

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[–] rickyrigatoni@lemm.ee 5 points 2 days ago

Bring. Back. Maximo.

[–] JackGreenEarth@lemm.ee 7 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Are you saying Steve isn't a videogame hero?

[–] NONE_dc@lemmy.world 7 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Steve is a blank canvas, even more devoid of autonomy than, say, Link. Even though Link never speaks or expresses ideas of his own, one can get an idea of what he's like based on certain clues given in the games, and we know at the very least that he's a classic hero who sacrifices himself for the common good.

Steve is a pure avatar, if he has his own name just because even objects have one. Steve is everything the player wants him to be, hero, explorer, slaver, exploiter... and there will never be a conflict; contrary to Link, who cannot stop being a hero.

My point is that, in my opinion, a hero must have his own character and autonomy, however minimal it may be, so that one can see in them an ideal to which to point to (Link's bravery, Sonic's love of freedom, etc.).

[–] LunarLoony@lemmy.sdf.org 7 points 2 days ago

Just to add to this, for a very long time, he wasn't even called Steve - he was called "Steve?" for the precise reason that they're not really a character at all.

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[–] RandomVideos@programming.dev 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Steve isnt even the default character of the game

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

......?

What am I missing here?

[–] RandomVideos@programming.dev 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Alex, Zuri, Ari, Noor, Makena, Efe, Kai and Sunny

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

.......???

I'm so lost here.

[–] RandomVideos@programming.dev 1 points 2 days ago

When not choosing or not being able to choose a skin in minecraft, the game chooses a random skin between those characters and Steve

[–] Thorry84@feddit.nl 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)
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[–] Shiggles@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Why are heroes so important? Role models are one thing, but hero worship is an incredibly problematic concept especially at a young age. The idea of an unquestionably good person is a myth that lends itself to authoritarianism, and that should die a slow agonizing death. It’s a little much to get deep into stuff like that for a kids game, but I’m certainly not sad to see “blindly good” characters go - it’s why Bluey is nice for how imperfect the parents are, even if they’re still an unrealistic ideal with how much time and energy the parents have.

[–] NONE_dc@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago

Ok, but my idea of "hero" is more based on the "role model" that you say. I totally agree with what you say that hero worship is one of the points that leads to the proliferation of fascism, it's just that I get the impression that children now have no role models, at least not as we had back then, models for them, of their time. Not in video games at least, in series maybe there are, like in Bluey as you say.

(I was thinking of mentioning Paw Patrol, but that's Copaganda and it's a nono for me).
[–] zipzoopaboop@lemmynsfw.com 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

They aren't really heroes, just mascots

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[–] RobotZap10000@feddit.nl 3 points 2 days ago

My little sibling would fight tooth and nail to play as Rayman in Rayman Legends. While the gaming audience has become a lot older in recent(ish) years, you can still find something very much kid-friendly AND memorable.

[–] Yermaw@lemm.ee 2 points 2 days ago (3 children)

I agree it's bleak, but it's just different. They have youtubers to rally behind. They'll be fine.

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