Freek: Designer Babies

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Designer Babies

I have to admit, I like my game console. Last year, our home entertainment desires led to game sales even outstripping movie sales (2).

For my part, one of the primary reasons is the writing and the depth of the content of many of the games on offer today. A current favorite of mine is Grand Theft Auto 4, largely for that reason alone. Sure, stealing cars, blowing things up and layin’ a beatdown can be a lot of fun…but my hat goes off to the writers of the radio and television commercials that punctuate the game’s atmosphere. Satirical to the max but especially funny because they are nearly true.

This morning’s television news feedbag presented me the sound bite “…6 months away from offering designer babies to parents…”.

Whoa…is this Eugenics Incorporated they are talking about? Time for due diligence (1), and I see it’s true…we’re on the verge. Life imitates art once again.

Eugenics Inc is a fictional company featured in a series of ads in the, lest we need to remind ourselves, fictional world of Grand Theft Auto. Founded by a disgruntled reproductive doctor, Eugenics Inc and its subsidiary, BabiesOvernight.com, offer relief to parents who are troubled by pesky natural selection.

My first instinct today was to rant about my beliefs about reproductive technologies…but I’m curious about what the common wisdom would settle upon if the marketplace were to decide the boundaries of the uses of this burgeoning new technological ability.

Would you order a designer baby?