Fox News now accusing Scrabble of being too “woke”

Five angry Fox News hosts think the popular board game Scrabble is too “woke” because — in addition to banning racist and anti-LGBTQ+ slurs — a new version focuses more on having fun with friends than on competitive scoring.

The popular word-spelling game recently released a new European version called Scrabble Together. The new version allows players to play in teams, challenges players to spell certain kinds of “goal” words (like a word containing two of the same letter), and provides hints for improving players’ skills. The new version also has the classic Scrabble game board, with its color-coded scoring, on its underside.

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The game’s manufacturer Mattel created the version after discovering that millennial and Gen-Z players enjoyed the game’s language and socializing more than its competitive scoring.

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“Scrabble has truly stood the test of time as one of the most popular board games in history, and we want to ensure the game continues to be inclusive for all players,” Ray Adler, vice president and global head of games at Mattel said in a statement. “For anyone who’s ever thought ‘word games aren’t for me’ or felt a little intimidated by the classic game, Scrabble Together mode is an ideal option.”

Fox News host Jeanine Pirro announced, “Scrabble is dumbing itself down for the woke,” during an April 10 segment of its discussion panel show The Five. She said the game has a “no more scoring option so that no one’s feelings get hurt,” but this is somewhat misleading — people can still win and lose in Scrabble Together.

“They have removed certain words,” Pirro said. “They banned racist and LGBTQ slurs from the tournaments, but there are also new words, you know, that the woke generation would be very comfortable with. So is this more about wokeism, this new Scrabble, or is it about … ADHD and the fact that they need friends and they need hints and they can’t spell?”

Jessica Tarlov, one of the panel’s more liberal co-hosts, said she was in favor of the game removing slurs, adding, “I think we can all agree on that.”

Two panelists replied, “Not so fast!” and “Be careful, Jessica.”

Tarlov then said she thought Mattel just wanted to create a “lighter version” because “Scrabble can be a tough game.”

Co-host Greg Gutfeld replied, “So is life!” before admitting that he has never played Scrabble.

He then said, “Playing a game without scoring — even if you suck at something — is so anti-human. It’s like scoring is part of your DNA. Y’know? You need to keep track! I’m the world’s worst tennis player… I love keeping score when I play tennis, even when I lose 6-0, because I need to keep score.”

Pirro added, “I’m surprised this new Scrabble didn’t come with four trophies, so everybody feels they won.”

Outside of Fox News, business writer Minda Zetlin called the creation of a new Scrabble a “particularly smart move,” though she said Mattel made a mistake by marketing as being for Gen-Z and millennials.

“Mattel could have simply touted Scrabble Together as a new, team-based variant on a venerable game,” she wrote. “It could have said it was perfect for beginners. It could have stressed that the new game would come as a bonus to the original. With that messaging, Mattel could have given people who’d been playing the game for years a good reason to buy a new set, gather some teams, and try Scrabble Together. Instead, it gave them a reason to mock it.”

“Woke” has become a right-wing catch-all word for anything that encourages a change towards diversity and cultural awareness. While the word is usually used to criticize anti-racist and pro-transgender initiatives, over the last few years, Republicans have also accused beer, men’s shaving razors, Chick Fil-A, and the Bible of being too “woke.”

However, in video and board gaming communities, there is a growing discussion on whether game design makes some games inaccessible to younger players or players with disabilities. Some video games have featured options to help players who have colorblindness, deafness, slower reaction times, or who need extra hints enjoy playing.