![]() ![]() These include the use of words that have been discouraged or outright banned from the rest of the newspaper in its style guide, such as “Oriental” as a racial description (after being banned in the Times’ 1999 style guide), “transvestite” (labeled offensive in the style guide) and “Eskimo,” a nonspecific term invented by colonizers (“The crossword, by its nature, makes the word more offensive by oversimplifying its meaning and depriving it of context,” Jeffries wrote). Adrianne Jeffries listed several examples of the New York Times’ crosswords’ “stodginess” in a 2017 article for The Outline entitled “The NYT Crossword is Old and Kind of Racist.” Signs of racism, sexism and bigotry are not only to be found in who and what are excluded from the crossword world, but also more explicitly in a history of controversial, offensive, tone-deaf and/or uncomfortable words and clues that have been included in popular crosswords throughout the years. Obviously, that goes for the demographics of constructors, too, but also the makeup of the grids,” Vigeland continued. “I’d love to see the New York Times Crossword get a little blacker, gayer, more female. The pattern of omission can be a deterrent to a younger and more diverse audience of solvers, who are often familiar with the figures and aspects of culture that tend to be excluded from these puzzles in favor of archaic references.Ĭrossword constructor Finn Vigeland said in a New York Times interview that he was surprised to be told that the author and activist bell hooks (whose name is stylized in lowercase) was not “familiar enough for The Times’s crossword audience.” There are “way too many famous O’HARAs and TARAs for there to be all these gone with the winds references in crossword puzzles,” Erik Agard, the crossword editor at USA Today, wrote in a tweet. ![]() Flavor Flav, Marie Kondo and Gay Erotica are among crossword entries that have been rejected by editors for being “not familiar enough,” “risky” or “ephemeral.” The pattern of omission can be a deterrent to a younger and more diverse audience of solvers, who are often familiar with the figures and aspects of culture that tend to be excluded from these puzzles in favor of archaic references.”Įven when puzzles are constructed by diverse voices, they may be censored during the editorial process: “Constructors constantly argue with editors that their culture is puzzle-worthy, only to hear feedback greased by bias, and occasionally outright sexism or racism,” Last wrote. While there has been no particular trend of growth, it has reached a high of 28% so far in 2020. His article brings to light the fact that the lack of diversity among mainstream crossword creators, editors and test solvers leads to a lack of diversity in the grids and clues of the puzzles themselves with regards to race and ethnicity, age, and gender and sexuality.įor example, since the current New York Times crossword editor, Will Shortz, assumed the position in 1993, the percentage of crossword bylines by women has fluctuated between 13% and 27%, according to. “That crossword mainstays such as The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and The Wall Street Journal are largely written, edited, fact-checked, and test-solved by older white men dictates what makes it into the 15×15 grid and what’s kept out,” Natan Last wrote in a March 2020 article for the Atlantic entitled “The Hidden Bigotry of Crosswords.” Last is a crossword constructor for the New York Times and The New Yorker. Exclusion of Diverse Constructors and CluesĪccording to an April 2020 Vice article by Samantha Cole, “New York Times Crossword Constructors Are Fighting Against its Systemic Bias,” the New York Times crosswords, considered by many to be the gold standard of cruciverbalism (the construction of crossword puzzles), “often seem targeted at imagined solvers who are older white males.” The pattern of exclusion has, however, prompted pushback which provides hope for the growth of a new generation of diverse and mindful crossword enthusiasts. ![]() For such a seemingly harmless and amusing pursuit, the modern mainstream crossword puzzle has an extensive record of excluding the voices of people of color, women and the LGBTQ community, as well as employing dated or offensive terminology. For many people, solving crossword puzzles is a fun and lighthearted activity, perhaps accompanied by breakfast or Sunday brunch. ![]()
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