Somewhere in between Paris Hilton's "that's hot" proclamation, Zoolander's Mugatu saying "that Hansel, so hot right now" and the launch of the horrible website Hot or Not (www.hotornot.com) my favorite game was born. The game is called "hot or not" and the rules are as follows:
1) A member of a group (2 or more people) calls out a noun like "beet salad".
2) The other member of the group yell out the words "hot" or "not" and give examples to back up their claim
3) The group makes a decision on whether the item is actually "hot" or "not hot"
4) Should an item dubbed "hot" come up in conversation in the next 24 hours, the group members must say "[Item Name], so hot right now."
It's a pretty superficial game but it promotes debate and a introspective look at the world we live in. I think this is most popular with us city folk who are always trying to be involved in the hottest foods, events, music, designers and sexual position of the day. I find that when I meet someone new at a party, if we are both from the city, we automatically relate to each other by talking about what new restaurant we've eaten at or new venue we've checked out.
So what is on the "Hot List" these days? Here are a few examples:
- Sustainable Restaurants
- Leafy Green Veggies
- Peanut Milk (it'll cure cancer and regrow amputated limbs)
- Blog Networks
- Twosomes
But here's the thing, I don't think the "hot or not" game should be limited to hair accessories, restaurants and nail polish colors. We can also play "hot or not" with more intangible items like mercy, justice, and the Checks and Balance System. If you really wanna see some creativity, ask your friends to defend the hotness of of school vouchers ("not hot" right now, by the way).
Here is how the conversation goes:
Sue: "Justice!"
Ernie: Not hot, justice was really hot back in the biblical times and middle ages when you could chop off someone's arm if they stole an onion from you.
Bert: Totally not hot, I really don't trust the justice system in this country. The Supreme Court Justices don't represent my opinions and the system seems flawed. I mean, OJ got away with murder.
Oscar: I think justice is still hot in this post-911 world. Aren't we supposed to be supporting our troops in the pursuit of freedom. Oh wait, that's not justice, that's just fear....
Sue: There you go, Justice, not hot right now.
This is a really fun game because you get to have bite sized chunks of "real talk" with your friends. It's the fun-sized snicker bar version of deep talk and introspection.
So what do you think folks? Have some ideas for concepts for the "hot or not" game? Add it the comments ya'll!
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