Squares on the Ghettopoly board are labeled Smitty's XXX Peep Show, Weinstein's Gold and Platinum and Tyron's Gun Shop. "Playas" buy crack houses and properties including Westside Liquor, Harlem, The Bronx and Long Beach City. The controversial spin-off of Monopoly can still be purchased from its Web site, however, at Ghettopoly game pieces include a marijuana leaf and a machine gun in place of the traditional Monopoly top hat and car. "The message of Ghettopoly is that all African-Americans live in crack, and gang ridden tumble-down ghettoes.here is nothing funny or entertaining about vile racial stereotypes.An employee at the Urban Outfitter's location on campus, at 36th and Walnut streets, who did not want her name published, said she could not comment on the game, but confirmed that it had been removed from the store's shelves, as well as those at other locations. "Ghettopoly is a silly, vicious and cheap attempt to reap a profit by promoting a game that panders to the worst stereotypes of African-Americans," he said. "This takes a small aspect of the community and tries to exploit it for financial gain."Įarl Ofari Hutchinson, head of the National Alliance for Positive Action, said the California-based advocacy group is launching a national campaign against the sale of Chang's games, which are still available through the creator's Web site. "We continue to fight these kinds of images," he said. Green said the game is "disgusting" and should not be on the market. He throws in Asians with the Ghetto Stash card "Go directly to Ling Ling's Massage Parlour for some (oral sex)." Weinstein's Gold and Platinum and at Hispanics via Hernando's Chop Shop. In the game, Chang also takes a shot Jews with a board property called Mr. "It appalls me it's flying off the shelves nationwide," Hopkins said. However, protesters said Thursday the game with its Sambo-esque images goes beyond making fun of stereotypes. If we can't laugh at ourselves and how we each utilize the various stereotypes, then we'll continue to live in blame and bitterness." It draws on stereotypes not as a means to degrade but as a medium to bring together in laughter. "The graphics on the board depict every race in the country and both genders. He promotes Ghettopoly on the Web as "compelling and hilarious. The game is made for people ages 13 and up and is the creation of David Chang, 28, of Pennsylvania, who moved to the United States from Taiwan with his family at eight years old.Ĭhang and Urban Outfitters communications officials did not respond to telephone or e-mail messages.Īccording to a Web site, Chang plans to release new versions of the game that will be titled Redneckopoly, Hoodopoly, HipHopopoly and Thugopoly. In Ghettopoly, players exchange artificial money with pictures of marijuana joints for crack houses, public housing projects, pawn shop items and tricks from hookers. "We are totally outraged about this particular product," Esdaile said. King is depicted on a board square with one hand on his crotch saying, "I have an itch" a tacky play on the slain civil rights leader's "I Have A Dream" speech. Hopkins, political action chairman for the Black Student Alliance at Yale University, all found particularly offensive Chang's caricatures Martin Luther King Jr. "As soon as we knew about it, we expressed our concern right to the top of the organization," he said.Įsdaile, state Rep. Newton called the CEO of Urban Outfitters, Richard Hayne, and told him the merchandise was offensive. However, Esdaile said he wants those commitments in writing from the local store and its corporate headquarters.ĭavid Newton, director of University Properties, the Broadway store's landlord, said his staff found out about the game Wednesday through an e-mail message. The chain was the only one in the United States to carry the game. Petersburg, Fla., all of which are in conversations with the NAACP's national office in Baltimore.Ī manager at Urban Outfitters at 43 Broadway said the game would not be re-stocked and the chain's corporate headquarters had this statement on its Web site Thursday: "Due to customer concerns, Urban Outfitters no longer sells the board game 'Ghettopoly.'" He said the local branch was joining in protest with sister chapters in Philadelphia, Seattle and St. Esdaile, president of the Greater New Haven NAACP, on Thursday called the game "disrespectful, insensitive, degrading, exploitative and basically, racist." One "Ghetto Stash" card reads: "You got yo whole neighborhood addicted to crack.
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