Indiana Jones, Celebutard

I'm really disappointed. I've known that Harrison Ford leaned left when it came to environmental issues, and yet I was willing to overlook that character flaw and enjoy his work. Let's face it - he's a darn good actor. And by that I mean I just love the Indiana Jones movies (well, Temple was bad, and Crystal Skull 'nuked the fridge', if you know what I mean). Sure, he was good in lots of other movies too - Star Wars IV-VI; Bladerunner; the Jack Ryan series; Force 10 From Navarone...(just checking to see if you're paying attention!) - but for me, I think of the iconic world-traveling, whip-slinging, jaw-cracking archaeologist whenever his name comes up.

However - I must officially declare that he's a Celebutard (Eco-nut Division), because of the following story from March 10.

From AOL News: Harrison Ford Lends Support to Eco-Friendly Video Game 'Ecotopia'

Video games aren't the greenest activity out there. Often held up as the epitome of sloth, they have a way of sucking power without producing anything, encouraging sedentary activity and drawing us out of our real lives to boot.

Problem is, they're really fun. That's why Talkie, a game designer based in Los Angeles, is making a new social game, akin to Zynga's "FarmVille" or "CityVille," that they hope will encourage their players to get out of their chairs and have a positive impact on their environments. They're just one of scores of designers hoping to harness the addictive power of video games toward social good.

In "Ecotopia," the player takes control of an avatar put into a decrepit world full of environmentally unfriendly infrastructure and obstinate neighbors unwilling to change. But with the slow, careful application of "green actions," like changing light bulbs or installing solar panels, they can change their surroundings into a futuristic, sustainable paradise.

"You're essentially a Johnny Appleseed moving through a decrepit world," Talkie Chairman Larry Bond told AOL News. "And as you go through and interact with the world, you can green it up, and as you do it, you're getting these sustainability points that sort of mirror how sustainability works in the real world."

That's in the game. The developers are hoping that the real power of "Ecotopia" will be a system that rewards players large numbers of points for real-world green actions -- mostly the stuff that the avatar does in the game, but in a real house or community.

[...]

The game has some serious real environmental cred, as well. "Ecotopia" has partnered with Conservation International, a large environmental group in Arlington, Va., with projects in dozens of countries. One of Conservation International's more well-known board members, actor Harrison Ford, has been an especially close friend of the project.

"This game represents a refreshing new way to engage millions of people in addressing critical environmental issues and finding solutions that work for the well-being of humanity," Ford said in a press release.

The last thing the "well-being of humanity" needs is a stupid video game.

And don't video games suck up a lot of electricity? Computers aren't all that efficient. And those gaming consoles hooked up to big screen plasma TV's are pretty bad- but I guess if you keep the lights off when you play, that might make it okay.

I highly doubt this game will appeal to the average teenager. I described it a bit to one of my sons, and he rolled his eyes. I asked him if a more fun environmentally-themed game would be one where you had to prevent people from changing your light bulbs, or installing low-flow shower heads, or monitoring the amount of toilet paper you use, and he nodded enthusiastically. Especially if the means of prevention involved guns, grenades and other similar weapons. Come to think of it, I'd play a game like that. NRA vs. EPA. Boo-yah!

So thanks a lot, Ford. You've soured a fan, and now I will never be able to watch Raiders of the Lost Ark in quite the same way ever again...