Cards Against Humanity draws ire for anti-Semitic jokes

JOLIET – The company that used Joliet Route 66 Stadium for a promotional campaign this month now is getting attention for a card game criticized for anti-Semitic humor.

Target on Thursday said it was pulling the game that Cards Against Humanity advertises as the “Jew Pack” off its store shelves.

The decision came amid criticism of a pack of cards using attempts at humor referring to the torture of Jews and the Holocaust.

The cards are packaged as “Chosen People Pack” but are advertised on the Cards Against Humanity website and by other retail websites, including Walmart and Amazon, as the “Jew Pack.”

Social media criticism of the Jew Pack mounted last week, and numerous media outlets reported Target’s decision to stop selling the cards in its stores.

The Cards Against Humanity game thrives on offensive humor and advertises itself as “a party game for horrible people.”

The Slammers, the baseball team that plays at and manages city-owned Joliet Route 66 Stadium, developed some kind of partnership with the game company that became apparent Dec. 5 with a banner at the stadium front gate that read "The Cards Against Humanity Baseball Place."

Slammers management repeatedly have said they could not comment on the banner or what arrangements it has made with Cards Against Humanity.

When Cards Against Humanity last week made a phony announcement as part of a promotional campaign that it had purchased the naming rights of the Joliet stadium, Slammers President Nick Semaca did say that the naming rights were not sold.

Semaca, however, would not comment specifically on the Cards Against Humanity announcement, citing confidentiality required by the team’s agreement with the company, and several media outlets reported the naming rights announcement as if it were true.

When reached Friday, Semaca said he was not aware of the Jew Pack controversy and would not comment.

Mayor Bob O’Dekirk also said he was not aware of the Jew Pack controversy.

“What you’re describing to me is definitely in poor taste, but I can’t comment any further on that,” O’Dekirk said.

A Cards Against Humanity spokeswoman did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Cards Against Humanity is a question-and-response card game like Apples to Apples except that it is based on adult topics and often employs vulgar or offensive responses.

The Chosen People Pack is an extension pack devoted to Jewish topics.

Some of the cards use traditional Jewish humor, such as the cards, “What’s so important now that you can’t call your mother?” and “A lifetime of internalized guilt.”

Other cards make light of the Nazi Holocaust, including, “Torturing Jews until they say they aren’t Jewish anymore,” “Suddenly remembered the Holocaust happened” and “Some kind of concentrated encampment for people.”

Target in a tweet apologized to customers saying, "We are aware of this extended card pack of the game Cards Against Humanity and are in the process of removing it from our stores. We apologize for any disappointment as it is never our intention to offend our guests with the products we carry."