Isa kept both me and Alfred from working on our papers. We felt bad for her because her boyfriend got sick or something and her plans for the evening fell through. I understand, I felt pretty bad after the game1 too, but then Alfred and I got some chai latté’s and Thai food. I conveniently blocked out any knowledge of a football game and concentrated more on being warm.
Rather than go out, Isa, Alfred and I stayed in and played the 90′s Time Capsule Edition of Trivial Pursuit. Isa bought the game a while back, but we’ve only played once. We’re rather competitive, and in that game the ugly side of our competitiveness manifests itself. Isa kept threatening to hit me because I was answering more questions correctly (and probably gloating about it). I threatened to kick Isa out of the apartment since she isn’t technically on the lease. I can’t determine whether our meanness was just a side-effect of our mini rivalry or the alcohol, but it wasn’t good.
Last night, Alfred kinda cheated and he and Isa teamed up to help each other out so I wouldn’t win. Still, there were no fights or nasty competitiveness. However, Trivial Pursuit still left a bad taste in my mouth. Early on, these three questions came up in the important — “hard news” — categoy almost successively. Alfred, Isa and I each answered a different question.
What nation’s drug cartel hit-men gunned down countryman Andres Escobar for booting a ball into his own net during a soccer World Cup loss? (card 140)
What imprisoned drug lord was miffed to learn his brother’s million-dollar stallion had been adbucted and returned castrated? (card 295)
What drug kingpin, dubbed the “world’s greatest outlaw” was gunned down while fleeing one of his homes in Medellín, Colombia? (card 56)
We didn’t get any other questions about Latinos or Latin America after that except for one about Jennifer Lopez.
It seems like a coincidence. I mean, they can’t be deliberately trying to make Latinos look like drug lords? When I went back to the cards we had gone through I found a few other references to Latinos. Another in the viewing category, “the stuff you watched,” referenced Jennifer Lopez. Rubén Blades and the outcome of the 1994 Panamanian presidential election was the subject of another question. There was yet another question pertaining to drugs: What nation supplied 4 out of every 5 grams of cocaine consumed in the US?
Did other people of color fare better? Not really. We didn’t answer any questions about Native Americans or Asian Americans. The questions in reference to African Americans mainly concerned rappers, athletes, and crime.
What color did Dennis Rodman dye his hair in support of women with breast cancer, in 1996?
(card 266)What gangsta rapper had just attended a Mike Tyson bout before he was fatally shot? (card 266)
Whose death did many believe was payback for the murder of Tupac Shakur? (card 269)
What rapper from the Wu-Tang Clan tried to change his name to the more accessible “Big Baby Jesus”? (card 270)
What rapper died before he could give the world more poignant songs like Fat Girl, Hit the Hooker, and Just Don’t Bite It? (card 101)
I probably have my Chicana/o Studies major and Critical Race Theory hats on too tightly. The unduly negative and stereotypical representation of Latinos and African Americans sucked out the fun of something that is “just a game.”
Oh well, at least Nelson Mandela was mentioned in a positive light: what Nobel Peace Prize winner said meeting the Spice Girls was “one of the greatest moments of my life”? (card 32).
Related: Still not a fetish.
[1 The game: yes, I know about the game. Yes, I watched it. No, I did not kick and scream. Yes, I know the score. You do not need to mention the score or anything about Reggie Bush ever again. I am sure Daily Texican will be glad to know that I am now a UT Longhorns fan. Come January 4th, I'd like to see UT have another Rose Bowl victory, but this time it will be for a national championship. Go Vince Young and UT!]
Papa Egoro
So the only way you can be Latino and get a question in Trivial Pursuit is be a woman with a big ass (J.Lo) or a big ass drug dealer (Pablo Escobar).
Sorry about the Bruins. I’m glad you didn’t kick or scream… The good news is, your Dodgers signed Rafael Furcal to be their new Shortstop! Tht should help ease the pain.
I think Trivial Pursuit asks questions based on how much attention they get on the news. Obviously, when was the last time you heard anything about any Latino person doing something good or positive? I know that we have Latino people doing good everyday, but it never comes to light.
Having said that, I don’t think the game is stereoptyping anybody. Is it wrong that I knew all the answers to the first three questions? LOL
The answers to all three questions were highly publicized here in the U.S. and that’s probably the reasoning as to why they’re in the game.
That just proves a point – Latinos are only in the media when violent crimes, drugs and gangs are involved.
Nebur Sedalb,
What is the reference to Egoro about? I know that Rubén Blades in the photo, but what/who is Egoro?
Joel,
I haven’t had the chance to really digest the Furcal signing. Initially it made me a little upset because Izturis is my favorite player on the Dodgers and I kinda liked how Oscar Robles was doing as the backup SS (plus he’s Mexican!). I need to read more about it later.
Jeff,
I don’t think it’s wrong to know those answers, but if the general American public or target audience of a game like Trivial Pursuit can only answer those questions and does not know other things that ocurred in the 90s specifically pertaining to Latinos or Latin America (devaluation of the peso in Mexico, death of César Chávez, proposition 187 in California, Selena’s murder, passage of NAFTA, Zapatista uprising, Brazil winning the World Cup, election of Gloria Molina to LA County Board of Supervisors, etc).
The last time I heard about a Latino in a positive light? All the time… I guess my news sources are different.
Julissa,
True that. An old professor did an analysis of the rhetoric over undocumented immigration in California. The language used in “objective” articles wasn’t all that objective and heavily biased.
Blades’ political party: “The strongest new party was Papa Egoro (Mother Earth in the indigenous Emera language). This green movement was founded by Ruben Blades, the salsa musician and actor. Blades, who has a law degree from the University of Panama and an LLM from Harvard, spent over 17 years in the United States, returning to Panama after the invasion. As a young lawyer, Blades did prisoners’ rights work in Panama, and while abroad he helped to organize Amnesty International’s global “Conspiracy of Hope” concert tour. Though he quietly helped victims of Noriega’s repression, he was one of the invasion’s harshest critics.” -http://www.zmag.org/zmag/articles/july94jackson.htm
It was 66 degrees today. That’s just about perfect, not too high … unless it’s a football score.
Hahahahahahahahahaha.
Oso, that’s just not cool. Seriously.Just like Cindy, I rather forget the whole thing happened.
I wonder if any newer, more recent editions are just like that one? I hope not. We have come very far and it would be nice to have some positive latino’s acknowledged.
So UT fan huh? Let me know if you want a T-shirt, we’re overflowin’ with them here down in Texas . .. y’allllll. . . .
Nebur,
Can you believe el Panamex didn’t know that? I mean, me not knowing it is expected, but him?
Oso,
I still hate you. Why does the white man always gotta be oppressing the brown people?
Brenda,
Oso is just being his usual self. Tomorrow I might like him again.
CAD,
I haven’t checked, and I don’t know if I want to buy the game to find out. A tshirt would be cool. It would surprise one of my coworkers who is also a UT alum.
i’m confused about Jeff’s response: how can the acknowledgement of the overemphasis of negative imagery by media outlets of Latin Americans be followed by “I don’t think the game is stereoptyping anybody”?
what exactly are stereotypes based on, if not manipulated imagery?
What an interesting observation. UT? UT? …uh, UT?
Wow, I did not know that about Ruben Blades! That is such an eye opener. That’s awesome to be honost with you guys…Latinos need more role models like him!
There is NO Way that UT is going to beat USC. It’s all about the WESTSIDE! Sorry EMC. As you can tell by the colors used in Cindy’s blog she has a small space in her heart for the Trojans.
I second Gustavo.
Quixotic,
Nice to see you around here. Always the voice of reason.
EMC,
Am I missing something here?
Gustavo,
I wasn’t aware of that either, but I knoew Nebur would know a lot about tocayo and fellow Panameño.
And for the record, my high school colors are the same as ‘SC. I applied there in high school and was admitted. I was given a financial package that was a few dollars short from being a full ride. I decided against it because after visiting I just didn’t feel comfortabl there.
The only small space in my heart I have for ‘SC is the work they do out of the Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis. Plus, they run a great outreach program for local kids.
All in all, ‘SC couldn’t pay me to be a Trojan.
HP,
You’re lucky I’m not a fan of censorship.
I’ve played that game, and you know, I really didn’t even notice how offensive some of those questions are. I think being a minority three times over has caused me to just learn to ingore or let go of potentially offensive things. It’s great because I’m not stressing myself out over the ignorance of others, but sad also…because what does me being offended so often I don’t notice anymore say for the state of society?
Cool! I think I’ll name my avatar up there Jeeves Fitzmiller.