where are the pet rocks?
January 30, 2003, 12:19 AM

Ever see a pet rock? It�s a simple concept: glue two googly eyes to a rock, make a vending stand, and sell them for a $1. The person who invented it is a millionaire over this extremely basic idea. Over James Cameron or Spielberg, I praise the genius who invented the pet rock. Sure, anyone can put Leonardo DiCaprio on screen or make a plastic alien with a glowing finger, but it takes true brains to think up a concept anyone could do, and do it first. Lately, in the 21st century, with the absence of imagination, I�ve seen very few concepts that are Pet Rock Ideas.

Think of the great Pet Rocks. In California, a student invented a drink that changed yuppies forever: Caffeinated, Bottled Water. Prodigious! He noticed how everyone needed coffee, an artificial energy boost, but still remained vain and pretended to drink water. By mixing the two, he became a multimillionaire and was able to fund all his other enterprises. From 1998-1999, an incredible show called �Sifl and Olly� aired on MTV. It consisted of two sock puppets yapping back and forth about music. Anyone could make this show, but since it was the original, no one dared to imitate. And of course, the cult favorite, Mystery Science Theater 3000. The general idea behind the show was take the obnoxious comments your friends make during a horrible movie, and make it into a television show. Yes, anyone could of thought that one up, but Joel was god who brought Crow, Tom Servo, and B-movies to life.

But where have they gone? I blame no limitations. Take for instance video games today. With enhanced computer graphics and powerful programming languages, you (or a team of 80) could virtually make up anything you want. But think back to the golden age of gaming�what the hell is Pac Man anyway? It�s simple game play with simple graphics. But there�s something charming, something more magical about a yellow dot eating pellets than your most complex RPG (role playing game) on the market. When your limited, you work with what you got, resulting in more creativity. When you have no limitations, concepts become too vague, unrealistic and overkill. That�s why independent movies seem to be more entertaining than blockbusters, mainly because they rely on great storylines to keep your attention, not cheap Matrix-style knock-off effects to keep you from falling asleep.

What can we do as a society to revive the rocks? Think more. Work within your limitations. If you want to make a film, you don�t need your climatic explosion; work around it. If you don�t have a team of 80 or the latest technology to make the game you want, make a puzzle game. Ultimately, there�s more merit in making an original concept than just making a Unreal Tournament look alike. Just because your sources are limited, don�t let your restrictions stop you. In fact, the more restrictions, the better! You�ll find yourself more pleased with the result by overcoming the obstacles life throws at you. Get the glue, get the googly eyes, and set a stand near you.

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