{"id":148462,"date":"2021-01-06T18:01:01","date_gmt":"2021-01-06T15:01:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/mahjong-line-ripped-on-twitter-for-culturally-appropriated-sets\/"},"modified":"2021-01-06T18:01:01","modified_gmt":"2021-01-06T15:01:01","slug":"mahjong-line-ripped-on-twitter-for-culturally-appropriated-sets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/mahjong-line-ripped-on-twitter-for-culturally-appropriated-sets\/","title":{"rendered":"#Mahjong Line ripped on Twitter for ‘culturally appropriated’ sets"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#Mahjong Line ripped on Twitter<\/a> for ‘culturally app<\/a>ropriated’ sets<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

\n

A Texas-based mahjong company founded by three white women is being accused of cultural appropriation for its \u201crefresh\u201d of the traditionally Chinese game<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Mahjong Line swapped out the Chinese characters and symbols typically found on mahjong tiles for images of cherries, bar soap and bags of flour for the brand\u2019s colorful sets, which they hawk for as much as $425.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn a quest to purchase her first Mahjong set, Kate [LaGere] discovered that the artwork of the traditional tiles, while beautiful, was all the same \u2014 and did not reflect the fun that was had when playing with her friends,\u201d the Dallas company\u2019s website read before it was taken offline.<\/a> \u201cAnd nothing came close to mirroring her style and personality.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, LaGere and the Mahjong Line\u2019s two other co-founders, Annie O\u2019Grady and Bianca Watson, set off to do a \u201crespectful refresh\u201d of the venerable game \u2014 by scrubbing the tiles of what they called \u201cconfusing\u201d and \u201cunnecessary\u201d Chinese symbols and replacing them with \u201cminimal designs\u201d for new players, according to the site\u2019s FAQ section.<\/a><\/p>\n

The company has since drawn a fierce rebuke from critics who say the message is tone-deaf and offensive.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s happening? Colonizers Annie, Bianca and Kate have discovered a new and improved tile game, once known as mahjong but now is a reflection of their individual style and fun,\u201d one person wrote on Twitter<\/a>, along with screengrabs from the website. \u201cThis is a textbook example of #culturalappropriation so happy 2021 everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another noted<\/a>, \u201cHello I have just learned some white girls are gentrifying mahjong for $425 a pop and boy do I have the time today!!!!!!!! What is this absolute nonsense!!!!!!\u201d<\/p>\n

Jeremy Lee also tweeted<\/a> screenshots of the Mahjong Line\u2019s \u201cabout\u201d section with a photo of the three co-founders.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy culture is one of the oldest civilizations in the world,\u201d he wrote. \u201cIt is a product of thousands of years of tradition and history. My culture not some cheap coloring book that can be filled-in and be \u2018made pretty\u2019 by the standards of privileged teenyboppers. #themahjongline\u201d<\/p>\n

The company was forced to issue an apology over the backlash on Tuesday, insisting that when it launched in November it had \u201cpure intentions and a shared love for the game of American Mahjong.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"People
Getty Images\/iStockphoto<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWhile our intent is to inspire and engage with a new generation of American mahjong players, we recognize our failure to pay proper homage to the game\u2019s Chinese heritage,\u201d the company wrote on Instagram, <\/a>disabling comments on the post and others. \u201cUsing words like \u2018refresh\u2019 were hurtful to many and we are deeply sorry.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is imperative that our followers know we never set out to ignore or misrepresent the origins of this game and know there are more conversations to be had and steps to take as we learn and grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Mahjong Line launched its limited-edition sets, which come with names like \u201cNot Your Mama\u2019s Mahjong\u201d and \u201cGet your Mahj On,\u201d on Nov. 5.<\/p>\n

In an interview with Paper City Magazine <\/a>for the launch, LaGere said she had \u201cso much fun creating a brand\u201d around the centuries-old game.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s constantly being picked up and passed down by generations of women,\u201d she said. \u201cBut there is absolutely a growth spurt going on in the younger crowd, across different demographics and in different cities. It\u2019s just attracting really cool, fun people with a ton of style.\u201d<\/p>\n

Originating in China, mahjong is typically played among a group of about four people with 144 tiles. The goal is to collect sets of the tiles, similar to the Western card game gin rummy.\n <\/p><\/div>\n