The Political Correctness Wave Breaking Over Bingo

It seems today that people take great care in public conversation for fear of offending someone. The "Noughties" became known as the decade where being PC (Politically Correct) went to extremes, and popular online bingo sites such as Costa Bingo began to take note of the fact that even the popular sphere of bingo did not appear safe from this political tidal wave.



It is hard to identify when the seeds of political correctness were first sewn, however its roots can certainly be traced back to the 1970s and 1980s during a time of civil unrest in not only the United Kingdom but also across the western world. Suddenly, discrimination of any type was at the forefront of the minds of the populace and as the years passed people became so afraid of offending one another that certain words, titles and phrases that had been common place before were now deemed a faux pas. For example, the nursery rhyme "Baa Baa Black Sheep" was taken out of schools and nurseries as it was deemed to have racial connotations and policemen were now known as police officers in an attempt to become gender nondescript. While the vast majority of the populace agree with the principals of the civil rights movement, a consensus developed recently that there was a point when it all went too far, a point that was exemplified when a bingo caller caused a storm by utilizing a traditional call.



In 2009 it was well documented by the press that Sudbury council in Suffolk banned a bingo caller from using either shouts "88 -Two Fat Ladies" or "11-Legs Eleven". The council members had feared that these phrases could be presumed to be politically incorrect, though they have been part of the game since the zenith of its popularity. This proposal sparked outrage amongst the traditional bingo community, while an Internet petition containing more than 3000 signatures from members of the public garnered huge support from the online bingo fellowship.



Perhaps the greatest contention surrounding the furore was not disregard that the phrases would cause upset, but rather that this upset was incongruous with the ethos of bingo, which has traditionally been one of fun. Its history as a common fundraiser for charity and social groups and development into one of the most popular pastimes amongst the online gaming community epitomizes the lighthearted spirit in which the game is played. Were players themselves to protest about the calls the case would be different, but the widely held consensus is that the decision was another instance of a governing body meddling in something that did not merit the intrusion. Fortunately for the game and its supporters, both offline and online, this instance has been exception rather than the rule.