Sunday, August 13, 2023

"Monopoly" created to show evils of capitalism

"How I Built This" (Planet Money, 1/25/23); Ananda; Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

"Monopoly" is a board game built around capitalism, so is its origin story
He used to have a monocle (Mandela Effect)
"Monopoly" is one of the best-selling board games in history. It's been an iconic part of American life: a cheap pastime during the Great Depression, a reminder of home for soldiers during WW II, an American export during its rise as a global superpower, and a best-seller during the pandemic.

The game's staying power may in part be because of a strong American myth — the idea that anyone, with just a little cash, can rise from rags to riches.

Author Mary Pilon: The Monopolists
Mary Pilon
, author of The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World's Favorite Board Game, dug into the origin story that was once included with every box of the game:
  • A man named Charles Darrow was unemployed and came up with the game to pass the time.
He took Monopoly to the game company Parker Brothers in 1934 and eventually became a millionaire.

But there's another origin story – a very different one that promotes a very different and negative image of financial exploitation capitalism (with two sets of starkly different rules on how to play it).

That story shows how a critique of capitalism (and private property) grew from a seed of an idea in a rebellious young woman's mind into a game legendary for its celebration of wealth at all costs.

Hold onto assets rather than working for salary
Help support Planet Money and get bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney. Always free at these links: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, NPR One or anywhere you get podcasts Find more Planet Money: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, weekly Newsletter. Segment: Monopoly is a board game built around capitalism. So is its origin story

No comments: