Reason Online published a list last week calling out the ten most absurd Time Magazine cover stories over the past 40 years, and “Beware of the Poke Mania” came in third.

“This Time cover story breathlessly warns that children are printing counterfeit cards, cheating friends and classmates, and even stabbing one another over Pokemon trading disputes,” Reason Online says about the November, 1999 Time story.

Time’s article goes as far as to say, “The ease with which [children] slip into cunning and thuggery can stun a mergers-and-acquisitions lawyer.”

However, Reason Online (as their name implies) takes a more reasonable look at the “Pokéocracy”, stating that the magazine never actually presents any substantiating data for this horrible fad that is ruining America’s youth. RO even mentions a BBC story done on Pokémon during the U.K. Poke-craze that explains how Pokémon could teach children economic lessons such as supply and demand, exchange rates and bubble bursting (No, they don’t mean the Water-type move).

I remember picking up this copy of Time when I was a 10-year-old waiting in the doctor’s office. I’m pretty sure the entire article was crafted solely to capitalize on the first wave of Poké-fever in the U.S. and maybe get a few people to pay attention to Time again.

[Reason Online - Top 10 Most Absurd Time Covers ] [Time - Beware the Poke Mania ]