Bingo goes back a long way, especially here in Britain. However, the demographics are not so clearly defined as you probably think. If you thought it was just your Auntie Doris and her mates who were getting together once a week, you’d be very mistaken.
“Millennials made up 17% of bingo players in 2015, with the numbers steadily growing to reach 21% in 2016 and 25% and 2017. The same upward trend is noticeable in the 35-44 age group that has increased from 21% in 2015 to 26% in 2016, keeping a steady position in 2017. Conversely, there has been a decline in the number of players aged between 45 and 54 who had been the biggest part of bingo players in three consecutive years, but their number dropped from 30% in 2015 to 26% in 2016.” https://www.topratedbingosites.co.uk/insights/news/bingo-player-uk-survey/
Bingo at https://www.barbadosbingo.com/ is as popular with the younger demographics as it has ever been – and there are some interesting consequences.
The times they are a-changing
Bob Dylan once sang that “the old road is rapidly ageing, please get out of the new one if you can’t lend a hand”. It’s possible that we haven’t seen such a cultural shift in society since the Civil Rights Movement in 1960s America. People everywhere are starting to question our values about all aspects of society. On whichever side of the fence you fall, the times do seem to be changing regarding how we speak. What can we still say, and what is now deemed offensive?
For some, our vernacular needs updating. It’s exclusive and too many outdated expressions are still normalised causing daily micro-aggressions to minorities every day. To others, this is a tedious assault on the most important of civil liberties: freedom of expression.
But how is bingo involved?
With the millennial demographic more involved in bingo than ever, there has been an inevitable clash with the traditional lexicon used to call the numbers. It seems to be particularly “Two Fat Ladies 88” which has caused the most consternation, as this is now deemed to be ‘fat-shaming’.
The Sun newspaper has reported on it, stating:
“The wishy-washy ‘Wills and Kate, 88’ has instead been suggested, alongside other snowflake-friendly phrases such as ‘74, recycle more’ and ‘48, not another Brexit debate’. Health-conscious foodie slogans are also popular, such as ‘83, gluten-free’, ‘38, avocado on a plate’ and ‘52, brunch for two’.” https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10800363/bingo-replace-traditional-calls-woke-phrases/
So which road will we take? Should traditionalists cede more ground with their own vocabularies, pandering to the professionally outraged, or should we update bingo’s lexicon to better reflect a 21st century Britain. After all, it’s not as though bingo hasn’t been modified in the past.
What is important is to have this debate in a civilised manner so we can arrive at a sensible conclusion, benefitting everyone who enjoys the beautiful game of bingo. At the end of the day, it should be an inclusive, friendly way to pass some time, and if anyone is genuinely hurt by any of the language, there’s reasonable cause to update it.
But let’s not just scream vitriol across the great divide. Not all millennials are woke snowflakes, and not everyone over the age of 50 is frothing with incandescent rage about calling out bingo numbers relating to Tinder and avocados. Let’s all keep our voices down though, or else we won’t be able to hear the numbers being called…!
Top 20 new calls voted by Foxy Bingo players
• 48, Not another Brexit debate
• 74, Recycle more
• 15, Yas Qween
• 25, Quarter life crisis
• 39, Love Island time
• 49, Amazon Prime
• 53, Here’s the tea
• 78, Haters gon’ hate
• 86, Instagram pics
• 14, Netflix & Chill
• 32, Fake news
• 35, It’s a vibe
• 38, Avocado on a plate
• 54, Lads on tour
• 68, Late for my Tinder date
• 88, Wills and Kate
• 52, Brunch for two
• 83, Gluten free
• 7, Flexitarian
• 9, Get an Uber from mine
Top 20 Original Bingo calls
• 48, Four Dozen
• 74, Candy store
• 15, Young & Keen
• 25, Duck & Dive
• 39, Steps
• 49, PC
• 53, Stuck in the tree
• 78, Heaven’s gate
• 86, Between the sticks
• 14, Valentine’s Day
• 32, Buckle my shoe
• 35, Jump and jive
• 38, Christmas cake
• 54, Clean the floor
• 68, Pick a Mate
• 88, Two fat ladies
• 52, Danny La Rue
• 83, Time for tea
• 7, Lucky seven
• 9, Doctors Orders
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