Classic Bingo Tragedy: The Essay
They remove Jesus and Buddha figurines from plastic bags and arrange them among ornamental frogs and trolls, with the hope that it’ll make them lucky enough to win $6 bingo games. Photos of their grandchildren keep them company, and are placed alongside their red and green translucent bingo chips. The low-rollers play four bingo cards, while the high-rollers purchase a dozen, which sprawl like cheap wooded acreage in western Pennsylvania.
Like a house of worship, money is collected and silence is enforced. Orlando Miller, “The Caller,” speaks directly into his microphone to demand quiet from chatty players. With a reassuring voice that soothes the flock, he administers the sermon of numbers slowly, repeating each number for those who
didn’t receive them the first time.
The game, delightfully, has its own lingo and sub-culture. There’s always a reliable joker who’ll call out “Medicaid,” instead of ”Bingo.” There’s a few who will say “quack, quack,” when a number is called that is not on one of their boards. Most play alongside friends, a few play in complete isolation.
Since the players scan their cards with
all-consuming concentration, the game is played very quietly. Not true for Margaret Smith, the big-roller with cards so spread out she has to stretch to reach the last one. As shown in the video, Margaret’s dialogue of misfortune, combined with facial expressions of deep disgust, make for a classic Bingo tragedy.