Will OA sales plummet in Washington?

[Wicht]

The Washington state lawmakers have decided the term oriental is offensive and should not be used. brief news-story here

Which immediattely raised in my mind one compelling question...

How greatly will this affect the sales of Oriental Adventures in Washington state? There is a chance that such a controversial book might actually experience a spike in sales. And now that we know the book is offensive, will Asian focus groups begin boycotting 3e?

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

From the story

State and local officials in Washington are now barred by law from using the term "Oriental" in any statutes, codes, rules and regulations.

and

It is limited to references to human beings, however, so a statute mentioning "oriental medicine or oriental herbology" gets to stay.

(1) Oriental Adventures is not a governmental status, code, rule, or regulation. (2) Oriental Adventures does not refer to human being(s).

So the title is fine. No effect on sales of game products.

 

[Lady Dragon]

The use of the term "oriental" in the book Oriental Adventures does not refer to a race of people but rather to an ancient culture and a time where this word was politicaly correct.Fact is no other word fits correctly for game purposes "Asian Adventures" This is a real continent it takes the fantasy part out. "Eastern Adventures" when the Orient might not be in the east in your world. If any Asian people are offended by this title,well they need to get a life,because the word as used in this book does not refer to them only to the ancient culture of some of there ancestors and even then it is heavily modified to include things like Magic.

 

[Friadoc]

Feh!

The law on the other hand is about as dumbass as you can get in this country without major head trauma preceeding said event.

You know, it's kinda funny, but in all my life, including when I worked as a dishwasher in a Chinese Restaurant, ran by a Chinese National, I have never heard anyone who is asian complain about the word 'oriental', the 'Orient', or other such phrases. All orient means is 'east'.

What's next - nordic will be outlawed because it too is a compass direction.

*grumbles* Stupid ethnic terms.

 

[Psion]

Where did you work as a dishwasher? From other times this issue has come up, the term is primarily considered offensive in Asian-American communities on the west coast, most notably San Fransisco. In other places, I have mostly heard indifference on the issue.

 

[Furn_Darkside]

Where did you work as a dishwasher? From other times this issue has come up, the term is primarily considered offensive in Asian-American communities on the east coast, most notably San Fransisco. In other places, I have mostly heard indifference on the issue.

Hey now, the East Coast may have some problems, but we don't have San Francisco!

FD

 

[Tsyr]

Here in michigan, we have a resturant run by chinese people... as in, people actualy from china directly, this generation, not descended from people from china.... and they use the word Oriental in the name of their resturant (They serve more than just chinese food, so they can't really call it a chinese place...)

 

[Desdichado]

Hola, Tsyr. That sounds like that could be referring to that new restaurant in the Fairlane Mall in Dearborn? I didn't know you were from Michigan.

Oh, and since when is it offensive to call someone from the Far East Oriental? That's just the latin word for east. What's the rationale there for why it was ever supposed to be offensive in the first place?

Oh, and finally, Wicht, I agree that according to the law as defined, Oriental Adventures does not violate the statute anyway, and is unlikely to come to the attention of anyone who really cares.

 

[Psion]

Hey now, the East Coast may have some problems, but we don't have San Francisco!

Uh, I said west coast... what are you talking about?

 

[Friadoc]

Where did you work as a dishwasher? From other times this issue has come up, the term is primarily considered offensive in Asian-American communities on the west coast, most notably San Fransisco. In other places, I have mostly heard indifference on the issue.

King Wah's,

...it's a nice little joint in my home town of Klamath Falls, Or - friends of the family own it, operate it, etceteras.