by Isabel
I probably threw up in my mouth about 8 times while looking at this.
Fashion!
The sight of my beloved Scrabble bedecked in bubblegum pink, and ornamented with goddamn flowers is enough to make me retire my vocabulary and subsist on grunts and monosyllables for the rest of my days. Fucking FASHION? Seriously? Every word is a winner? Obviously some words are blatantly more valuable then others. That is how you win at Scrabble. It is a game of skill and strategy. Why bother selling boardgames at all? Just hand out pink, glittery, Participant gemstones that come with a passcode to play a computer game where you get to dress the gemstones up in trendy prom gowns online. After all, as long as it involves dressing up and looking pretty-pretty-pretty, then girls HAVE to like it, right? Everything else is superfluous!
Ugh!
27 responses so far ↓
Ouyang Dan // May 15, 2009 at 11:43 pm
I know! What a disgrace, to women, girls, and the much loved game!
Why is it women can’t want anything unless it is all puuuurdy w/ pink and sparkles and dripping w/ stereotypes (fashion!).
I also liked the Ouija board, except that until I saw the picture of that pink one I hadn’t seen a Ouija board for sale at a toy store in a long time. I so want one. Now that it’s pink it’s OK?
8iceman8.googlepages.com // May 17, 2009 at 5:41 am
DotA is the best game eva !!!!!!!
Eli // May 17, 2009 at 3:51 pm
My (non-pink) Scrabble board also says “Every word’s a winner.” My eleven-year-old sister pointed out the other day just what you did: that “xi” is better than “is.”
None of which makes the pink=girls=fashion! thing less annoying.
brandon // May 17, 2009 at 5:00 pm
“FUN GAME”. They dumbed down ANY sort of half-smart marketing ploy to say, “fun game”? There are so many things they COULD have said. Apparently women and girls are only supposed to have a 3 word vocab: fun, game, fashion.
Grosssss
Katie // May 17, 2009 at 5:46 pm
The original also says “fun game” in scrabble letters on it.
Still, it’s disgusting, but some of the “offensive” things people are pointing out are on both versions…
fatima // May 17, 2009 at 9:22 pm
i think it says “fashion” because its the DESIGNERS edition. and the fun game part, and the every word’s a winner is on other versions as well.
no where on the packaging does it say “scrabble…for girls!” it just says its the designer edition and its pink…so therefore we ASSUME its for girls? hm..
Kelsey // May 17, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Ugh. SERIOUSLY?!
And Fatima: Of all the men you know, have ever associated with, and have even crossed paths with throughout your life, how certain can you be to say that this designer version of scrabble is marketed towards THEM? it’s obviously marketed towards women, because the companies all figure that anything pink and sparkly and pretty attract women. I don’t see too many men picking up a pink scrabble box.
eli // May 17, 2009 at 11:20 pm
You know what?
I love pink, but I would rather punch myself in the uterus than buy that.
hilkman // May 18, 2009 at 12:28 am
Er, I don’t see too many women picking up a pink scrabble box, either. You’re either into playing scrabble or into picking up pink stuff, but hardly both. And the “original” hardly had to ay “fun game” on it, either – the game became famous when it still sold in boxes as these: http://boardgamegeek.com/image/212312?size=original
Jules // May 18, 2009 at 1:23 am
So? Do they have a game specifically geared towards men with stereotypical male colors and designs? I am not offended that a company purposefully tried to appeal to women and that they believed (correctly) that pink is popular with women.
8230aaa // May 18, 2009 at 5:56 am
is this the game or a sucker device to woo women!
sherisaid // May 18, 2009 at 9:32 am
my initial reaction was similar to yours, but then I thought…if they find a way to make a game that builds knowledge more attractive to young girls…why not?
Katie // May 18, 2009 at 11:21 am
hilkman
true, but i’ve seen non-pink sparkly scrabble boxes that say “fun game” on them. my point was it’s not original to the pink flowery edition.
Joy-Mari Cloete // May 18, 2009 at 2:28 pm
@sherisaid: why would a pink box make a game more attractive to young girls?
bluelyon // May 18, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Unless there’s a “guy” version, this is the stupidest marketing ploy ever. Make that, “even if.”
parisblues // May 18, 2009 at 4:01 pm
LOL – hilarious post!
Brad Nelson // May 18, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Designers know better than to use pink and green in that combination.
WillJongIll // May 18, 2009 at 6:23 pm
But what I want to know is WHY are the makers of this game trying to encourage women to play scrabble? Women prefer games of chances that aren’t distracting and don’t require attention so they can sip their tea and gossip with their friends. That’s the real travesty.
terminusest13 // May 18, 2009 at 6:36 pm
What. The. Shit.
I have no words.
I…have no words. At all.
aidegdev // May 18, 2009 at 6:45 pm
I love it !
WillJongIll // May 18, 2009 at 6:46 pm
@Joy-Mari: That’s a good question! Why would making something pink ever encourage girls to buy it? I don’t think even Milton Bradley knows. In my view, it’s a crazy, untested idea that’s never been tried before – so that’s pretty bold of Scrabble .. but let’s see how it pans out for them.
dedekusn // May 19, 2009 at 11:10 am
I know, but… :)
jackiecous // May 19, 2009 at 10:42 pm
the package seems to imply that this is “fun” and a “game,” whilst my instincts scream otherwise.
eternity // May 20, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Don’t get me wrong- I’m against all this sort of insanity, but did you happen to notice the “available only at Toys “R” Us” sticker? I think this is targeted at 8-12 year olds.
The pinking of America « Deadly Stealth Frogs // May 20, 2009 at 10:59 pm
[...] to our more feminine sides. Not even board games are safe: as evidenced by this photograph seen here, even that beloved classic Scrabble is now available with a pastel colored, flower trimmed playing [...]
William K. Wolfrum Chronicles » Blog Archive » No one expects a blogaround - Let’s get ready to rumble edition // May 25, 2009 at 7:48 am
[...] bastard.logic: Now that Scrabble comes in pink with a focus on fashion and glitter, maybe girls will finally take to it. [...]
jesurgislac // May 25, 2009 at 8:27 am
Oh good Lord. Is nothing sacred?