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Brian Jewell

7:00 PM (4 hours ago)

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Monopoly As The New Chess

I was playing chess on my cell phone recently, and the thought occurred to me that Monopoly is the modern day chess. I say this because each game was created to teach young people the lessons of li…

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James,

Here is my latest blog. Sorry it's coming so late it the weekend. I actually took a little time to work on some fiction projects. I should have some of those ready and available before the end of the year. Right now, I have so many idea's as far as long-term stories I'm having trouble deciding on which ones to give my attention to. Any advice on this would be helpful and greatly appreciated. As for the blog I'm sending this week, I tried to not be quite as political as the last one.

Thanks,

Brian

Brian, I was just playing monopoly with two boys and their involved father last week.

Last year. When the shamdemic hit and Dad was working a lot, I played endless Monopoly with them and never, ever won. The boys learned the salient American lesson that the man who is honest and does not cheat always loses! Unless, Dad walks through the door and says to his sons, "Hey, don't do that shit to Mister James!"

Now I have been nominated as the banker of record and occasionally win.

The funny thing was how much our games, when the boys were cheating, mimicked reality. When, finally, through hard work, sound investment and square dealing, I was reduced to a pauper, the wealthiest boy would sponsor me as a pet, and allow me to land on his properties and not pay—even use me as a straw buyer for unpurchased properties. But woe to his solvent opponent, the man on the next economic rung down—it was merciless then! It seemed by chance—or maybe it was my magic hat—but as soon as I was bankrupt, I started landing in jail a lot. The kids would have a bidding war to bail me out, so I would be their lackey! We would joke that I was a crack dealer.

Now, the best version of Monopoly is Ghettopoly, which I got for my youngest son when he was 13 and his friends of all races loved playing it. The game makes fun of all races. However, it is depicted as only being racist against one group in the addled minds of American womanhood.

A fascinating culture drift study was had recently when I offered to have my sponsor in Manhattan send a copy of the game to the Fundamentalist Christian household I was staying with and the mother said, "No!" that no making a game of the unfortunate urban dwellers' plight would occur in her Christian house.

She really is perhaps the sweetest lady I have ever met.

So the game was sent to a heathen friend of mine who has an atheist girlfriend and atheist X-wife.

Guess what, the game cannot be known to exist by these atheist matriarchs or, "There will be hell to pay."

Hell you say?

So who is the Church Lady now?

Games reflect much about us.

Chess once reflected man's apex occupation, war. Tamerlane kept the Ottoman Sultan alive after he defeated him in battle for two reasons, so that he could use him as a foot stool to limp onto his horse, with his bad leg, and so that he could relive his victory every day in a game of chess!

Could you imagine, playing Orange Man in Monopoly!

Great observation, Brian.