WASHINGTON – Is this the end of times? Not if Pikachu has his (her? its?) way.
On Thursday, Pokémon Go fans around the world (but not Japan) got a back-handed acknowledgement from the White House.
During 1600 Penn’s daily press briefing, journalist and documentary filmmaker Patrick Gavin, who has been trying for 253 days to snag an interview with the president, managed to get Josh Earnest, the White House spokesman, to tell everyone what he thought of the mobile game that renders players defenseless against the finer points of living in public.
“We encourage people to not suspend common sense even as they turn to Pokémon for a little summer fun,” said Earnest of the viral smartphone game that’s causing mayhem and mishaps across the country. A sampling of headlines: “Police say Pokemon Go player stabbed in North Carolina town,” “Police: Man robbed on bike path while playing ‘Pokemon Go’,” “Woman trying to catch Pokemon in cemetery gets stuck in tree”
For his part Earnest, who said he didn’t personally partake in Pokémon Go, was none to thrilled to be dragged into the national conversation.
“Let’s just say I take no special delight in being the first White House spokesperson to say ‘Pokémon’ at a White House briefing,” he said.