Where are the Hamsters of Conspicuous Consumption?

If you give a hoot about whether the world’s going to hell in a handbasket, Maktaaq’s clever piece on games that hamsters refuse to play is Essential Weekend Reading — a clever, amusing, yet oh-so-sadly-true commentary on what happens when you give a hamster a whole roll of toilet paper to play with, instead of the tiny scraps it needs to build a nest and/or amuse itself with Hamster Games.

You’d expect the cage to look something like the aftermath of a frat party, wouldn’t you? Ripped and soiled TP strewn everywhere, an exhausted animal lying passed-out and belly-up at the base of its exercise wheel… But, apparently, no.

The hamsters’ lack of a sense of fun leaves me disappointed in their kind. It may be a generalization, but I suspect the entire species of being no fun.

Where’s the wanton greed? Where’s the unfettered extravagance?

Hamsters have a lot to learn from humans.

Bonus for the fans of small furry button-eyed animals as pets — the accompanying photographs of the frugal and self-restrained hamster are really quite lovely. Enjoy!