My, my. Haven't we evolved? Who would have imagined participating in a traditional outdoor sporting activity, like tennis, without being required to subject oneself to the discomforting breezes, pesky sunshine, and bothersome birdsong of the actual outdoors? Or who would have imagined literally going through the motions of bowling without experiencing all the potential discomfort associated with hurling the awful, muscle-straining weight of an actual bowling ball?

Perhaps you've seen the ads: a multicultural group of twenty-somethings, clothes and living space oozing self-satisfied hipness and faces practically bursting with rapture as their "racquet" hands—empty but for a white implement the size of a TV remote—swat at the sterile air. They, of course, are playing virtual tennis.

Staring intently at the TV in front of him and being careful not to spill his wine spritzer, one hipster, with a subtle wrist flick, sends his TV-screen stand-in sprinting the full length of the baseline to launch a screaming cross-court forehand winner. He of the on-the-money wrist flick takes full athletic credit, of course, pumping his fist in celebration of the wicked, computer-animated shot as his indefatigable other self—no doubt taking illegal supplements in the form of RAM—quickly sets up for the next point. Yippee. Welcome to the Wii generation. No effort required....