“"Whisper Down the Lane" beings one person whispering a message or phrase to the person next to them. That person then whispers what they heard to the next person, and so on, until the message has been whispered through the entire group. The last person then says aloud what they heard. Often, the final message is drastically different from the original.
In French, the game is known as "téléphone arabe.” This name reflects problematic associations between the Arab culture and the act of miscommunication or distortion. It reinforces the idea of the "other," where cultural differences are depicted as inherently flawed or inferior.
What may seem like an innocent game for children carries a deeper lesson about the fallibility of the information we receive and consume as well as our own cultural biases.”
Talent Matt Hurley and India Wray-Murane
Creative Direction Scott Hardy
Editorial