Mike Mercer
From : Michael Mercer
Sent : Wednesday, February 22, 2006 6:16 PM
To : robert.eckert@mattel.com, kevin.farr@mattel.com, neil.friedman@mattel.com, ellen.brothers@mattel.com, bryan.stockton@mattel.com, thomas.debrowski@mattel.com, alan.kaye@mattel.com, bob.normile@mattel.com
CC : m.m.mercer@hotmail.com
Subject : What's wrong with Uno?
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Dear Mr. (or Mrs.) Uno,
I have been an avid fan of Uno for the better part of a decade. I’m good, too. Really good. Some close friends and I maintain a bi-weekly “Beer, Guns & Uno” night, wherein we spend some quality time on a firing range, then travel back to one of our homes (drawn by lottery) to, as you can probably surmise, drink beer and play Uno.
And I rarely lose.
However, I have recently begun to feel a vague, but growing uneasiness whilst playing your game. I have recently begun to pinpoint the cause of my consternation, and I can no longer in good faith enjoy a spirited game of Uno for deep-set ethical reasons. I hope you will take the appropriate action to resolve this issue, and faithfully restore my enjoyment of your card game.
The problem with Uno is in its name. As Americans, we now live in a country deeply divided by cultural boundaries and the growing threat of forced multilingualism. Some maintain that all Americans would do well to learn a second language, while others insist that English is the national language, and should be a requirement of living in this country. By naming your card game “Uno,” it is plainly obvious which side of the battle you’re on, but while we stand on the same side of this issue, I take issue with your methods.
Now, I do speak fluent Spanish. Therefore, I know that ‘uno’ means ‘one.’ In fact, the ability to easily translate the two actually makes the game more exciting and enjoyable for the bilingual; while most people shout “uno!” as if it is some sort of onomatopoeic gibberish, I know that I am clandestinely telling the other players that I do, in fact, have only one card left. However, while this subterfuge is apropos to the enjoyment of my own intellectual superiority over other adults, I am concerned about the kind of message this sends to children. Your game is, in fact, recommended for ages 7 and up, and I believe it is unconscionably irresponsible and unscrupulous to surreptitiously force young people to learn Spanish in order to fully enjoy your card game.
As I said, I understand that a multilingual society is desirable in our current world scenario of global economics. So much so that I support your intent to bring cultural diversity to America’s younger generation. But I cannot acquiesce to your covert tactics used in an attempt to achieve this goal.
So, what can you do to bring an apt resolution to this important issue? I believe two simple actions can restore my faith in your product:
1. Give money to programs which support bilingual education. Furthermore, openly and actively lobby Congress, PTA groups, internet forums, science fiction conventions, and other similarly-situated game and toy makers to take the same approach. Make this issue public, where informed citizens can debate and decide the best course of action for our posterity.
2. Change the name of the game to “One,” and the rules surrounding its play, eliminating the requirement to have proficiency in the Spanish language in order to fully appreciate the nuances of the game. I, for example, now yell “one, suckers!” when I only have one card left; while it does not alleviate the tension I feel for the above-mentioned reasons, it suits me well enough to make the game bearable, and may do so for other players. However, if you still wish to maintain a sort of whimsical tonality of the title, you could change the name of the game to something like, “One-o,” as long as you include a disclaimer that one-o is, indeed, not a real word in any language; you would not want to immediately counteract the educational progress you’ve made…
In summation, it is my position that the issue of multilingualism in our society should be left in the hands of the politicians, courts, and parents, rather than overly idealistic and zealous card game manufacturers.
Thank you for taking the time to ponder this issue, which I consider to be of paramount importance, and for your prompt and diligent attention to it. I know that Uno will do the right thing in this matter.
Michael M. Mercer
Sent : Wednesday, February 22, 2006 6:16 PM
To : robert.eckert@mattel.com, kevin.farr@mattel.com, neil.friedman@mattel.com, ellen.brothers@mattel.com, bryan.stockton@mattel.com, thomas.debrowski@mattel.com, alan.kaye@mattel.com, bob.normile@mattel.com
CC : m.m.mercer@hotmail.com
Subject : What's wrong with Uno?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Mr. (or Mrs.) Uno,
I have been an avid fan of Uno for the better part of a decade. I’m good, too. Really good. Some close friends and I maintain a bi-weekly “Beer, Guns & Uno” night, wherein we spend some quality time on a firing range, then travel back to one of our homes (drawn by lottery) to, as you can probably surmise, drink beer and play Uno.
And I rarely lose.
However, I have recently begun to feel a vague, but growing uneasiness whilst playing your game. I have recently begun to pinpoint the cause of my consternation, and I can no longer in good faith enjoy a spirited game of Uno for deep-set ethical reasons. I hope you will take the appropriate action to resolve this issue, and faithfully restore my enjoyment of your card game.
The problem with Uno is in its name. As Americans, we now live in a country deeply divided by cultural boundaries and the growing threat of forced multilingualism. Some maintain that all Americans would do well to learn a second language, while others insist that English is the national language, and should be a requirement of living in this country. By naming your card game “Uno,” it is plainly obvious which side of the battle you’re on, but while we stand on the same side of this issue, I take issue with your methods.
Now, I do speak fluent Spanish. Therefore, I know that ‘uno’ means ‘one.’ In fact, the ability to easily translate the two actually makes the game more exciting and enjoyable for the bilingual; while most people shout “uno!” as if it is some sort of onomatopoeic gibberish, I know that I am clandestinely telling the other players that I do, in fact, have only one card left. However, while this subterfuge is apropos to the enjoyment of my own intellectual superiority over other adults, I am concerned about the kind of message this sends to children. Your game is, in fact, recommended for ages 7 and up, and I believe it is unconscionably irresponsible and unscrupulous to surreptitiously force young people to learn Spanish in order to fully enjoy your card game.
As I said, I understand that a multilingual society is desirable in our current world scenario of global economics. So much so that I support your intent to bring cultural diversity to America’s younger generation. But I cannot acquiesce to your covert tactics used in an attempt to achieve this goal.
So, what can you do to bring an apt resolution to this important issue? I believe two simple actions can restore my faith in your product:
1. Give money to programs which support bilingual education. Furthermore, openly and actively lobby Congress, PTA groups, internet forums, science fiction conventions, and other similarly-situated game and toy makers to take the same approach. Make this issue public, where informed citizens can debate and decide the best course of action for our posterity.
2. Change the name of the game to “One,” and the rules surrounding its play, eliminating the requirement to have proficiency in the Spanish language in order to fully appreciate the nuances of the game. I, for example, now yell “one, suckers!” when I only have one card left; while it does not alleviate the tension I feel for the above-mentioned reasons, it suits me well enough to make the game bearable, and may do so for other players. However, if you still wish to maintain a sort of whimsical tonality of the title, you could change the name of the game to something like, “One-o,” as long as you include a disclaimer that one-o is, indeed, not a real word in any language; you would not want to immediately counteract the educational progress you’ve made…
In summation, it is my position that the issue of multilingualism in our society should be left in the hands of the politicians, courts, and parents, rather than overly idealistic and zealous card game manufacturers.
Thank you for taking the time to ponder this issue, which I consider to be of paramount importance, and for your prompt and diligent attention to it. I know that Uno will do the right thing in this matter.
Michael M. Mercer