MADELEINE BRAND, host:
Attention shoppers, now available: the Here & Now edition of Monopoly. It's an update of the classic board game. The manufacturer, Hasbro, says it's intended to be a representation of America in the 21st century. With a review of the Here & Now edition, here's someone from there and then, our commentator Annabelle Gurwitch.
ANNABELLE GURWITCH: Monopoly is considered to be the most popular board game ever, with more than 250 million copes sold. And people are really dedicated.
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GURWITCH: According to Hasbro, the longest game ever played in a bathtub lasted 99 hours. While I never played in a bathtub, for diehards like me, Monopoly wasn't just a game. No, it was chock-full of symbols of Americana, and it was a proving ground that would, as it turns out, be a somewhat accurate indication of a life path.
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GURWITCH: For instance, it was in playing Monopoly that my true nature was revealed. I discovered that I had to win at all costs, rendering me a rampant and compulsive cheater, which clearly set me on a trajectory for a life in show business. Now over the years, the Hasbro company has sold numerous versions of the game released in limited editions, designed to appeal to niche markets with special themes ranging from Sponge Bob to Star Trek, and now: Here & Now.
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GURWITCH: This edition was developed through a process not unlike American Idol. Hundreds of thousands of people voted on the Internet, according to Hasbro. So, figuring the game would reflect modern American consciousness, I excitedly ran out and purchased a copy, and my son and I sat down to play. I have to admit, I was both impressed and puzzled by what America and Hasbro came up with.
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GURWITCH: Gone are the old icons, replaced with items intended to represent life today, including a cell phone, a Prius, and a new, improved dog - that recently concocted breed, the Labradoodle. Also say goodbye to that old, worn shoe, which bespoke of standing in the depression-era bread lines and hard work. It's been replaced by a New Balance sneaker, evoking hard workouts.
Interesting to note, I got the same reception on the new cell-phone token that I typically get on my actual cell phone. So in that respect, the token really does represent life in the here and now.
The new game also features a new roster of properties for sale. I have to admit it made me feel a little sad for the residents of Atlantic City. First they lost the Miss America contest, now they've disappeared from the Monopoly board, replaced by Las Vegas and LAX. But I have to give it to the designers. There are great, ripped-from-the-headline touches.
You can find yourself sent to jail for the crime of identity theft or be bankrupted by a class action suit. And I had to wonder if this was intended as a political commentary: the board lists the White House for sale at a rather modest price of only $3,600,000. Now that's a bargain, especially when you consider that the base salary has been inflated 10,000 times. Instead of $200, you now receive $2 million just for passing go. Wow, now that's interesting, considering that the game was sold to me by an employee of Toys "R" Us who told me that she makes $6.50 an hour.
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BRAND: Actress and DAY TO DAY contributor, Annabelle Gurwitch.
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Unidentified Woman (Singer): (Singing) Without a doubt, no man can use you when you're down and out, I mean when you're down and out.
BRAND: DAY TO DAY is a production of NPR News with contributions from Slate.com. I'm Madeleine Brand.
ALEX CHADWICK, host:
I'm Alex Chadwick.
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