Why Can’t You Play ‘Jew’ in Words With Friends?
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
An Open Letter
To: Mark Pincus, founder and CEO of Zynga
From: Hinda Mandell, Words with Friends user
Dear Mr. Pincus,
I have a gripe: Don’t worry — it has nothing to do with Farmville.
I’m writing because, when I play the smartphone app Words with Friends, I feel bad about myself — and not just because, when my pal plays “INCEPTS,” I hit back with “THE.” (Never mind that I’ve also had to visit dictionary.com to look up the definition of words like “INCEPTS,” despite having a Ph.D.)
No, I feel bad about myself because, when I attempt to play J-E-W in Words with Friends, a box pops up on my iPhone screen to inform me, “Sorry, jew is not an acceptable word.” I have to hit the “OK” button — indicating consent — in order to continue playing.
Not cool, Pincus. Not cool.
When I first started playing Words With Friends, I saw J-E-W as just an easy 13-point word. But now, thanks to that message, I am reminded of its cultural baggage and the idea that J-E-W needs an “ISH” tacked onto its tuchas to be considered courteous speech.
But what is this — a 1950s country club in Minnesota where words like J-E-W can only be whispered?
I must say, though, that my mother agrees with you.
“Jew isn’t an acceptable word,” said Mom Mandell. “It’s not polite. I prefer ‘Jewish.’”
Well, whatever. (For the record, my mom doesn’t know what she’s talking about because she’s one big proud J-E-W.)
I did a bit of online sleuthing (I have a doctorate, you know) and this piece here says that you’re a J-E-W. I hate to play the tribal card — but that doesn’t mean I won’t. Perhaps you could suggest that the Words with Friends programmers make J-E-W into an acceptable word. I can think of about 18 million folks (minus a few self-haters) around the world who might support this move.
And I’m not the only one taking to the Internet to complain about the lack of clear guidelines for Words with Friends. I understand that in Scrabble, one cannot play capitalized words. Yet in Words With Friends, I’ve successfully played both N-I-L-E and Y-I-D.
Y-I-D, Mr. Pincus?! What would your rabbi say?
According to Zynga’s online help desk, Words with Friends uses the Enhanced North American Benchmark Lexicon. When I clicked on the Lexicon’s link I saw that J-E-W is an acceptable word there.
But so is J-E-W-E-D.
Oy.
(O-Y, by the way, is an acceptable word, according to Words with Friends. We are in agreement on that one.)
In closing, Mr. Pincus, I think I speak for the Words with Friends community when I say that J-E-W is a word we all want to play! Please don’t make me enlist the support of Alec Baldwin to help my case.
I eagerly await your response.
Sincerely yours,
Hinda Mandell
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
