Pirates_Ghost

Protesters taking on game called Ghettopoly
And the worse part, this "AINT NO JOKE,BOI-EZZZ"



By Li Fellers
Tribune staff reporter
Published October 7, 2003

A new board game called Ghettopoly in which players try to amass stolen property and crack houses is selling briskly in Chicago despite criticism that it mocks poverty and misfortune in the African-American community.

In the game, the smartest "playa" buys the most stolen property and erects crack houses and housing projects. Players can choose as their game piece a rock of crack cocaine, a machine gun or a 40-oz. bottle of beer.




Along the way, bonus dollars are awarded to players who can get their entire neighborhood addicted to crack.

A handful of protesters, standing in front of the Urban Outfitters store in downtown Chicago Monday, called for the game's maker to "cease and desist" making the game and for the store and two other outlets in the Chicago area to stop carrying the game.

Protesters with the United Voters for Truth and Change accused the game's creator of profiting by mocking poverty and misfortune in the African-American community.

The game's inventor, David Chang, 28, who immigrated to the U.S. from Taiwan when he was 8, said: "They just have to remember this is just a game. This is a satirical look at stereotypes in America."

The game "is completely disgusting," said Franklin Stevenson, 40, a computer animator who heard about the demonstration on the radio and supported the protesters. "It speaks to the level of racism that still exists."

"It's like selling pictures of a lynching and people buying it like hot cakes," said Stevenson, shaking his head.

The controversy appears to be fueling the game's sales.

"For every bad e-mail ... I probably get like 20 orders," said Chang, who runs the operation out of his home in St. Marys, Pa.

Change said Urban Outfitters is the only retailer to carry the game in the Chicago area and sales clerks at their two stores in Chicago and one in Evanston said they have sold out of the game.

Calls for comment from Urban Outfitters corporate headquarters in Philadelphia were not returned Monday.

Chang, who said the game's inspiration came to him in fall 2001 while watching an episode of "MTV Cribs," a show that profiles the residences of famous rockers and rap stars.

Chang dismissed the criticism. Every race is denigrated in his game, he said.

"There's Asians, Irish, Italians, Jewish, any you can think of is on there. It's not just focused on the African-Americans," he said.

Chang said as an Asian-American he has had his own experiences dealing with negative stereotypes. To underline his point he said he has included in the game an exaggerated stereotype that assaults his own heritage.

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You can't wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you - Look, if I went 'round saying I was an Emperor, just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, they'd put me away!