lifebsideben

OK, you want to be mad at someone? How about David T Chang and Urban Outfitters. He created a “game” called Ghettopoly. It’s being sold at the Urban Outfitters chain stores. I don’t honestly think I’ve ever bought anything there, but I certainly won’t in the future.

I don’t even want to potentially bump this motherfucker’s pagerank by linking to him, but… you have to see this, before someone burns his site down: http://www.ghettopoly.com/. It’s hosted by Yahoo!, so I’m off to write a complaint e-mail.

Here’s some of what MSNBC passes off as ‘coverage’ on it: ‘Ghettopoly’ game called ‘racist’ (why is racist quoted? Single quoted at that? WTF?!?)

It’s one thing to joke about our differences, encourage discussion, and have fun with friends. It’s another to mass market stereotypes, especially trivializing serious issues and painting with such a wide, offensive, brush. And yes this goes for Hollywood, too! Insensitivity is one thing, but this is truly tasteless and offensive. Is gangsta rap? Yeah, some of it is too, and some of that needs to be kicked to the curb, as well. But let’s start with this first. I can appreciate offensive humor, in a big way, but this isn’t really humorous–it’s simply exploitative. Once you get all the “jokes”, this game wouldn’t be funny, or fun. And it offers no commentary on the ghetto, no insight to make it humorous, only presents the ghetto and stereotypes of the ghetto as something to point and laugh at, not find a commonality with the subject that is the basis for true humor. It is the kind of “funny” 7 year olds laugh at when the bully breaks someone’s toy out of hate, not the kind when a comedian exposes and show the humor in stereotypes (think Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, or George Carlin.)

And now that I’ve visited the urban outfitter’s site, I see how this could happen. What a load of trash–beer-branded t-shirts, “jesus is my homeboy” logo’d stuff, and camo pants. I suggest they change their name to ‘Suburban Loutfitters’; apparently their target demographic is farm-dwelling militia members. I clicked around a lot, and was surprised to eventually find a nonwhite model. One. But then again, I don’t blame minority models for refusing to wear any of that shit

Tags: big_business, bitching

Wow, did I hold a crappy staff meeting today. But unfortunately I can’t discuss it here, now. Grrr.

How about some nice linkage instead? These guys have been in business for quite some time, but I had never heard of them. They make board (and other) games, but minus the essentially similar doodads that come with every other game you’ve ever bought (markers, dice, fake money, etc.) They tell you what to salvage out of monopoly and just sell you the unique bits for the game you want–really cheap. I gotta order some of these… http://www.cheapass.com/index.html
Now all I need are friends to play them with

Tags: Games