New Board Game: Ghettopoly

[aurora_borealis]

I think there may be a few people on GC that don't see anything wrong with this game, that would also find nothing wrong with a "Ghetto Fab" party and so on.

I can't speak for anyone else's upbringing but I know that mine had some privilige. Two of those priviliges I still think are important to this day is that my parents sent me to public school in the city of San Francisco, and also that they encouraged me to go to the local Boys and Girls Club than other after school activities. They moved to San Francisco because they both had grown up in places that were rather homogenous(read: whiter than the snow in Alaska), and they knew that we'd have a rich upbringing with a variety of people in our lives. I value all the people and experiences I have as a result of my parents making those choices. I feel that without those I wouldn't have a more realistic view of the world

I have to wonder how many of those same GCers have actually ever known someone, let alone been to the ghetto/hood/projects etc. It is a sobering experience when: you realize your friend has to be home before dark because they don't want to be on the street in case of random violence, and you're snug in your house with that thought never crossing your mind; you're working at a summer camp and one of your campers was born addicted to crack and has been in twice as many foster homes as they have had birthdays. I could go on, but the I really think until there is more education and less ignorance, things like this game will continue. No one should have the struggles of their life stereotypes or made fun of in a GAME.

[Steeltrap]

Originally posted by aurora_borealis
I think there may be a few people on GC that don't see anything wrong with this game, that would also find nothing wrong with a "Ghetto Fab" party and so on.

I can't speak for anyone else's upbringing but I know that mine had some privilige. Two of those priviliges I still think are important to this day is that my parents sent me to public school in the city of San Francisco, and also that they encouraged me to go to the local Boys and Girls Club than other after school activities. They moved to San Francisco because they both had grown up in places that were rather homogenous(read: whiter than the snow in Alaska), and they knew that we'd have a rich upbringing with a variety of people in our lives. I value all the people and experiences I have as a result of my parents making those choices. I feel that without those I wouldn't have a more realistic view of the world

I have to wonder how many of those same GCers have actually ever known someone, let alone been to the ghetto/hood/projects etc. It is a sobering experience when: you realize your friend has to be home before dark because they don't want to be on the street in case of random violence, and you're snug in your house with that thought never crossing your mind; you're working at a summer camp and one of your campers was born addicted to crack and has been in twice as many foster homes as they have had birthdays. I could go on, but the I really think until there is more education and less ignorance, things like this game will continue. No one should have the struggles of their life stereotypes or made fun of in a GAME.

Good post. But to be educated, people have to be receptive. I don't sense that some of these GCers who see nothing wrong with this game are willing to be educated.

[CrimsonTide4]

Originally posted by aurora_borealis
No one should have the struggles of their life stereotypes or made fun of in a GAME.

This says SO MUCH!!!

[aurora_borealis]

Originally posted by Steeltrap
Good post. But to be educated, people have to be receptive. I don't sense that some of these GCers who see nothing wrong with this game are willing to be educated.

Someone suggested 2x4s...

Seriously though, perhaps some people "don't get it" as they have never known anyone that would be affected by this game. I get frustrated "Chile you have a brain...USE IT" sadly people cannot think on demand. I just want people at my farm school middle of nowhere campus to stop saying things are "ghetto" until they have been to one. And don't think I won't call folks out on any "ghetto fab" parties.

[Steeltrap]

Originally posted by aurora_borealis
Someone suggested 2x4s...

Seriously though, perhaps some people "don't get it" as they have never known anyone that would be affected by this game. I get frustrated "Chile you have a brain...USE IT" sadly people cannot think on demand. I just want people at my farm school middle of nowhere campus to stop saying things are "ghetto" until they have been to one. And don't think I won't call folks out on any "ghetto fab" parties.

Again, you're completely on point. Besides racial segregation, you also see class segregation.

I suspect, and I've said this before, many of the same people who think "ghetto" sendups are OK don't really have any meaningful contact with AfAms who may be affected by inner-city miseries. If they have meaningful contact, it's often with suburban AfAms who sometimes are "go along to get along" types at best or self-hating at worst.

[brickhouse492]

Oh LAWWWD. I'm experiencing information overload. Ghettopoloy is really working my nerves and I can't believe some of the other things I'm reading on GC. There is some ignorance in abundance floating around in those OTHER forums. Has 911 taught us nothing? People are seriously making some wicked moves these days. My heart is weary so I have to SPEAK UP but some of the topics have left me speechless.

[aurora_borealis]

Originally posted by Steeltrap
Again, you're completely on point. Besides racial segregation, you also see class segregation.

I suspect, and I've said this before, many of the same people who think "ghetto" sendups are OK don't really have any meaningful contact with AfAms who may be affected by inner-city miseries. If they have meaningful contact, it's often with suburban AfAms who sometimes are "go along to get along" types at best or self-hating at worst.

You just said something that got me thinking. When I lived in Alaska I was one of the only white people in my social group. We had a pretty good represenation of the boxes one could check on a form, and also of those that couldn't pick one box. The people I knew were AfAm and there was a huge difference in the girl that grew up in Anchorage, and the kids that moved from the South. I related better to the kids from the South.

However I am now living among the fields of wheat, and I know one AfAm person locally (because of GC) and every other person is actually FROM Africa. I work with people from Zimbabwe, Zaire, Kenya, and so on, plus we have a South African guy running around town claiming he is the son of the Ambassador to Australia. Changes the whole frame of reference.

[Dionysus]

Originally posted by Steeltrap
If they have meaningful contact, it's often with suburban AfAms who sometimes are "go along to get along" types at best or self-hating at worst.

I think there's another factor too. From both personal experience and observance, suburban AfAms tend to be desensitized to a lot of racism and ignorance compared to inner-city AfAms. I don't think it is always nor often from a root of self hatred or a desire to get along. IMO, SAs are exposed to racism and ignorance more than any group of AfAms. If you did not grow up in an AfAm community, you did not have a safe haven away from it all, except for the home. You had to deal w/ that type of BS 24-7. As a result, I believe at that point either two things happen: you develop a thick skin/numbness or you become completely consumed with anger.

[Steeltrap]

Originally posted by Dionysus
I think there's another factor too. From both personal experience and observance, suburban AfAms tend to be desensitized to a lot of racism and ignorance compared to inner-city AfAms. I don't think it is always nor often from a root of self hatred or a desire for peace. IMO, SAs are exposed to racism and ignorance more than any group of AfAms. If you did not grow up in an AfAm community, you did not have a safe haven away from it all, except for the home. You had to deal w/ that type of BS 24-7. As a result, I believe at that point either two things happen: you develop a thick skin or you become completely consumed with anger.

Thanks for sharing the information about desensitization. For a while, I was in the state that you describe above until I decided that I was going to change it.
I grew up in an inner-ring suburb of San Diego, but I stopped going to school in my neighborhood in 1971 (yeah, I'm old )because there was no mentally gifted minor program there. From 1976 to 1982, I was bused out to PW junior high and high schools.

[breathesgelatin]

Originally posted by Steeltrap
I suspect, and I've said this before, many of the same people who think "ghetto" sendups are OK don't really have any meaningful contact with AfAms who may be affected by inner-city miseries. If they have meaningful contact, it's often with suburban AfAms who sometimes are "go along to get along" types at best or self-hating at worst.

sooooo true. I grew up in the rural south. Now, say what you will but I've read studies that say the rural South actually has some of the most diverse schools nowadays... because the districts are so large they draw in many different types of people. At my high school we had African Americans, whites, Latinos/as from all areas of Central and South America, as well as many people from Korean and Hmong background. So I was lucky enough to have many different types of friends and know people of ALL backgrounds who were successful. In fact, a lot of times the good ole boy white guy redneck types were LESS successful than minority students. I had minority teachers and role models too. (My first elementary school when I lived in the city was 80% AfAm.)

Now I go to a predominantly white, Southern college of elite spoiled suburban kids. Most of them have never interacted with anyone different from them. The things that will come out of their mouths floor me!

This summer I worked in a homeless shelter in Washington, DC. The thing that *really* annoys me is that there are plenty of homeless, mentally handicapped, and/or drug-addicted people in urban areas that are NOT African American. This summer I worked with many types of people--a formerly middle-class white novelist, a former African American prison guard, mentally ill women of ALL descents (Mexican, Chinese, AfAm, white, African, etc), drug-addicted women of ALL descents... Most of the women I worked with were inspiring and had a true commitment to bettering their lives. Yet, I wouldn't begin to say that I know or have experienced the inner-city urban life of the poor. Anyone who claims to know another person's life experience is committing the gravest form of disrespect. The first thing we learned in our training was NEVER to say "I understand what you're going through/saying" to a woman. It was only "I can hear you.. that must be tough."

Too many people think they can generalize their own experiences to everyone. That's the subtle and worst form of most kinds of racism and prejudice of all kinds.

[NinjaPoodle]

From NPHC list serv:

Ghettopoly Creator contact info

Here is David Chang's phone number, let him know what you think of his game. Give him a ring at 866-444-3886, or drop him an email at davidchang@ghettopoly.com

He is also planning Hoodopoly, HipHopOpoly, Thugopoly, and Redneckopoly


ETA
I didn't see this info in the thread so I posted for consumers sake. Fellow Mods, if you need to remove it...sigh...go ahead. I understand.

[Honeykiss1974]

I just heard that Urban Outfitters has announced that they are pulling this game from the shelves!

[1savvydiva]

Originally posted by DeeDobbins
In lieu of the new "game" called Gettopoly,
I have changed my GC signature.

NICE!

[enlightenment06]

Originally posted by DeeDobbins
In lieu of the new "game" called Gettopoly,
I have changed my GC signature.

I'm going to pray for a vision...something must be done...we need some saving grace.

That's a hot quote, and unfortuneately, it epitomizes the African American community

[sigmadiva]

Originally posted by Steeltrap


I'm just worn out of the ignorance on parade. I swear, I'm no separatist. But I'm just tired of stupidity.

*le sigh*

Oh, me too........