December 04, 2005
There’s no monopoly on cliched orientalismMusings
The previously blogged Desi-opoly is finally available in the UK, just in time for the holidays. With this board game, the desi diaspora has just joined the ranks of Nascar, Garfield, the Powerpuff Girls, Star Wars (both old and new), as well as towns like Swansea and Wigan as official monopoly themes.
The Desi Monopoly website toots its own horn louder than the Bollywood Brass Band:
It is very exciting news that the South Asian community is Passing GO. It is widely acknowledged that the South Asian community have played a significant role in contributing to the recent success and culture of the UK and the new Monopoly UK Desi Edition celebrates this. [Link]
But the game hardly celebrates the contributions of BritAsians to the UK. It’s basically the same game with a bit of mirch-masala mixed in:
the properties are a mix of Indian icons (famous train stations, the Taj) and Asian neigbourhoods in Britain. [Link]
… along with a ton of hackneyed desi cliches for good measure. The images in the strip on the right are just some of the pictures used on the box. They include a brocaded sari, a woman meditating, a woman doing classical dance, a tiger, a rickshaw wallah and yes … the Taj Mahal. This from the same country that brought us “Goodness Gracious Me”, “The Kumars At No 42” and the “Funjabis?”
Who needs white people when we exoticize ourselves so thoroughly, for so little. At least the monopoly guy wasn’t morphed into the Air India man …
I want to be the three-wheeled scooter,
ennis on December 4, 2005 10:28 PM in Musings · T·r·a·c·k·b·a·c·k address · Direct link · Email post
¤ DesiPundit said: Monopoly on Cliches
¤ Magazine said: Buy Southall , and then shut it down
The Desi version of Monopoly is finally available in the UK, according to Amazon.co.uk [via SM]. If anyone actually buys this, consider yourself an outcaste from society! How dare you even want to buy Belgrave Rd in Leciester? Though it does look ent...
hmm... now what about the pawn pieces...can we have a cow, a rickshaw, a pan, hmm.. a tabla or sitar.. hehe.. come on... the pawns are the best part of the game...
Our earlier post on the subject said:
The traditional counters of top hat, dog, racing car and boot are to be replaced with three-wheeled scooters, tigers, cricket bats and Indian sweets. [Link]
No paan, and near as I can tell, no mention of cows or Kali either, although I haven't actually seen the game myself.
Theres a board game in india called vyapari which seems quite similar to monopoly.
Who needs white people when we exoticize ourselves so thoroughly, for so little.
Ain't that the truth!
