America's Newest Board Game - "Ghettopoly"

[hatrack]

Disgusting.

Black clergy outraged at ‘Ghettopoly'
The Associated Press

Thursday, October 9, 2003

Philadelphia — Cheap Trick Avenue instead of Boardwalk? Hernando's Chop Shop instead of Reading Railroad? Black leaders are outraged over a new board game called "Ghettopoly" that has "playas" acting like pimps and game cards reading, "You got yo whole neighborhood addicted to crack. Collect $50."

Black clergymen say the game, the brainchild of a Pennsylvania man, should be banned, and have called for a boycott of Urban Outfitters unless the company stops selling Ghettopoly in its chain of clothing stores.

EDIT

Shine displayed the game board, with properties including Westside Liquor, Harlem, The Bronx, and Long Beach City, and squares labeled Smitty's XXX Peep Show, Weinstein's Gold and Platinum, and Tyron's Gun Shop.

Players draw "Hustle" and "Ghetto Stash" cards with directions like, "You're a little short on loot, so you decided to stick up a bank. Collect $75," and "Steal $$$ if you pass Let$ Roll."

http://www.ljworld.com/section/worldnation/story/147985

[Skittles]

1. how about some CORPORATOPOLY?

lots of money there

[mermaid]

16. I Like This Idea!!

Yeah...we could have "Golden Parachute" cards instead of "Community Chest."
"You just pulled off a Kenny Lay/Enron style screwing over of your employees...collect $200 from every other player!"

Of course, you could have ENRON instead of Electric Company...

And we could have "Inside Investor" cards instead of Chance...

"You dumped your Harken stock just in time...good thing you had inside info!! Collect $500"

"You held up the citizens of Arligton, Texas to build you a new ballpark...collect $1,000."

Of course, Luxury Tax would cease to exist on Corporatolpoly...we'd have to replace that with "Fat Tax" or something like that..

Another "Golden Parachute" card..."If you are Martha Stewart, go to jail...go directly to jail...if you are Kenny Boy, you get a free pass!"
LOL

[psychopomp]

2. This guy just doesn't get it

Go ahead and cash in on prejudice, David Chang.

[Patriot_Spear]

4. He did an NPR interview where he said it was to highlight stereotypes..

Maybe he does get it... it's still in poor taste.

[psychopomp]

7. $$ to perpetuate crude stereotypes

...make jokes about poverty and make it a GAME. A pile of dogcrap is in better taste.

[Bandit]

12. Only if all revenues were to go towards bettering life in inner cities.

It is racist trash IMHO and I find it highly insulting.

[Octafish]

3. Just when I couldn't get any madder at the GOP.

Wow. Here's the truth: The Konservative-KKK-NAZI-Mafia-GOP axis of evil is worse than what that little game is about. They are the sworn enemies of much of what has made America great — from Public Education to Social Security to the New Deal and Civil Rights.

Why else would they allow a REAL ghettopoly to exist? They're the open air prisons we call America's cities. Bad schools, no jobs, lots of drugs: Once you go in, it's hard to get out. Very Republican (cheap): They don't have to pay for prison guards, medical care, or the three squares a day.

[psychopomp]

5. "Why else would they allow a REAL ghettopoly to exist?"

Right on, 8fish. The truth hurts. But, it is not only the GOP, but we all have to share some of the blame. It is our system that creates and requires loosers; we all have a stake in the status quo which is why things didn't get any better under BC.

[cmf]

6. I emailed this guy and asked him

When he was going to come out with "Fobopoly". He seems eager to make fun of other ethnic groups, but not his own (not that doing that would make it ok). What an ass. In Seattle, the NAACP (lead by my coworker!) protested at the downtown Abercrombie and Fitch and they took it off the shelves the same afternoon.

[psychopomp]

9. Urban Outfitters? Ambercrombe and Fitch?

I guess I am really on another planet! What place does this "game" have at mainstream ("white") clothing retailers?

Civil Society gone FUBAR!? People are really losin' it in Amerikkka.

[cmf]

11. I messed up - it was Urban Outfitters.

I get those two mixed up. :)

[RummyTheDummy]

18. Actually, I heard this being talked about on Olberman last night

And the same company is also making a sort of white-trash-opoly with trailer parks and meth labs etc.
I have less of a problem with it if it's universal, not just aimed at blacks.
I actually enjoy seeing white trash being made fun of because I associate white trash with republicans.

[TLM]

22. Exactly, there is a double standard that bugs me..

I think this game is funny... but then you're talking to a guy who came up with Ebonics Scrabble.

But people don't care if we rip on whitey.. that's perfectly acceptable. In fact it seems that straight white males are about the only group left that your allowed to make jokes about.

And that's such a tragedy because humor is the single best weapon we have to undermine racism. Racism is the most dangerous when it is taken seriously, when it is viewed as a rational and factual worldview. When it is simply a subject of jokes and outlandish humor, that takes the power away from it.

We just take race way to seriously and i think that's a major reason why it is such a problem.

[noonwitch]

8. My guess is that Hasbro/Parker Brothers will sue for copyright violation

And that will be that. At least, that's what I hope happens.

[Catherine Vincent]

10. He should have started with the Chinkopoly series.

I guess he figure the ghettopoly would get more attention. What a moron.

[sangh0]

13. Vote in CNN's poll

"Would you shop in a store that sold Ghettopoly?"

Right now, the "Yes"'s are winning

[Zero Gravitas]

14. He should sell that at Freerepublic.com

those morans would love that game.

[RummyTheDummy]

19. The same company is also releasing a white-trash-opoly game

NT

[TLM]

15. Oh come on people... what's the big deal?

This is one of the biggest problems with the left. This is the kind of thing that gets us the reputation for being humorless whiners.

If this was whitetrash-opoly, nobody would have a problem with it. So obviously the problem isn’t making jokes about race and poverty… rather it is making jokes about certain races and poverty. There’s a double standard in humor today.

It is so hypocritical. If some people have brown skin, then somehow all the quarks and things about them that might usually be the subject for jokes and humor are suddenly racist and off limits. I mean for example, look at Chris Rock. He’s one of the funniest guys out there and he does a lot on the subject of race… but can you imagine what would happen if a white guy tried to do that same material?

If you would react differently to the same exact words, simply because of the race of the person delivering them… doesn’t that make you the racist?


I think this game is funny… and I also think that humor is the best way there is to defuse racial tension. But some people are always looking for an excuse to be outraged and offended at anything.

[Cocoa]

17. I don't think all of Chris Rock's stuff is funny

I saw commercials for the movie where he runs for president or something, and it looked like it was the same old tired stereotypes that are in this game.

And his being black DOES make a difference, anyway. And some of his stuff is very good and more original.

[TLM]

21. I'm not talking about his movies... as much as his stand up.

Some of Rock's stand up bits like Niggas vs. Black People would get a white guy shot if he tried to do them. In fact Rock has a sketch on his CD of just that same thing happening... very funny.

"And his being black DOES make a difference, anyway."

Isn't that racist, though? If there is a different standard that is not based on the words at all, but rather is based only on the race of the person saying them?

[corarose]

20. They use to sell the Welfare Game at Spencers

It came with food stamps, section 8 vouchers, a green card for illegal aliens, etc.

I bought it for my Sister at Christmas one time because I couldn't believe that they sold a game like that and it was taken off of the market.