Monopoly Woke Up

Posted on March 22, 2021March 22, 2021 by thependulumswings staff

For the first time in over 85 years, Monopoly’s 16 Community Chest Cards are about to get a “long overdue” redo, Hasbro announced last Thursday.

And, why not? #metoo has an entirely new meaning these days, DeShaun Watson aside. Hasbro is following the lead of Dr. Suess and the Potato Head formerly known as Mr.

Call it “woke” or call it “cancel culture,” but most of all call it corporate me too.

“True to its longstanding history of inviting its fans to help make changes to the game, and during a time when community means more than ever before, Monopoly is asking consumers worldwide to determine the new cards by voting at MonopolyCommunityChest.com,” the company said in a press release. Actually, the long-standing history is that it rarely changed until now.

The press release drivel continues, “covering topics like beauty contests, holiday funds, and life insurance, there is no denying the Monopoly game’s Community Chest Cards are long overdue for a refresh. And, coming out of the tumultuous year of 2020, the term “community” has taken on a whole new meaning. Hasbro is counting on their fans to help reflect what community means in their real lives, into the Monopoly game, by voting for new cards like “Shop Local,” “Rescue A Puppy,” or “Help Your Neighbors.”

And on, “according to the Monopoly website where players may vote, card options include rescuing a puppy to get out of jail free or being penalized for not recycling your trash.

Woke indeed. But perhaps they should have gone even further. Changing just the Community Chest cards doesn’t seem inclusive enough. BBR has a few further suggestions to iron out to bring the board game into 2021.

Pennsylvania Ave. should be eliminated. The real-world Pennsylvania Ave. in DC has a Trump Hotel on it. No one should have to land on that and pay the Donald rent money.

Reading Railroad should be eliminated as well. This screams of prejudice against the illiterate.

The money that you are given to start the game isn’t enough either. Maybe an additional $1400 for everyone whether legal, illegal, or incarcerated would be helpful in these tough times.

And, why even have a jail? That corner space could be renamed Bill de Blasio Blvd as he always has an extra “get out of jail free” card in the rare instance that someone in NY is actually charged with a crime.

Mediterranean and Baltic should go. No one should live on streets in such squalor. And, Boardwalk and Park Place must go too. No one should be able to afford such excess. Maybe the rules could assess a property tax to the rich landowners each time they added houses and give it to the squatters of the aforementioned lower-class neighborhood.

Oriental Ave? Really? Wow!

The game’s goal used to be to empty your competitor’s bank account not empty recycled trash.

Maybe Hasbro could insure that everyone wins from now on. Heck, even the name “Monopoly” should change, shouldn’t it?

One tweeter unloaded and called it a “terrible idea” and said it’s a classic board game for a reason.

“Make a new woke version if you must but please leave the original game as it is. Hopefully, you feel the pain of a massive boycott while you’re on the cancel culture bandwagon,” the user stated.

We feel the tweeter’s pain.

Meet the New Press

Posted on May 12, 2020 by thependulumswings staff

Have you seen the selective edit of Bill Barr’s interview used by Chuck Todd on Sunday’s Meet the Press? Yesterday, it was all of the (out)rage on conservative talk radio as well as on the Fox News Network.

And that, unfortunately, is exactly the point. It’s already yesterday’s news.

As the Russian Collusion, Mueller Investigation, and Impeach Trump continues to fall further apart and the heat from the AG is now on the those that brought the, umm, Trumped-up charges both sides have predictably dug in once again.

No less than former President Barack Obama came out to weigh in on this heavyweight fight. He, oh so elegantly, worried that this possible pardoning of General Flynn was a subordination of the rule of law. Adam Schiff said that is would set the Justice Department’s credibility back 50 years to the Watergate era. Should Schiff be the one talking about credibility? We digress.

NBC, so regretful of their national broadcast error, said in a tweet written by no one you know that it regretted the inadvertent editing. If you watched the show, but don’t have a Twitter account that follows NBC News, you would not ever see the insufficient regret.

President Trump, acting like a former TV star of The Apprentice called for Todd to be fired. But, he added that he knew that he wouldn’t be. And, that too is exactly the point.

In today’s fractured nation, both sides immediately line up behind their political preference, truth and principles be dammed. If you don’t believe that ask either Tara Reade or the dumbfounded #metoo members.

The result, or possibly the cause as well, is that anything and everything can now be said with little to no fear of reprisal. Journalism, as it was once known, is no longer. Chuck Todd knowingly deleted the last two sentences of Barr’s response to support his narrative and knew beforehand that he had cover to do it.

In yesteryear, editors checked and rechecked material for accuracy before it was written or spoken. Two sources on everything was mandatory. Quotes were painstakingly quoted word for word. Credibility was cherished and was the long term goal.

No more. Now, the goal is twofold. The first goal enables the second goal. The first goal is ratings. If you have ratings the ad revenue streams in. Everyone gets fed. Want to get fed? Feed the base that you appeal to some red meat. If you don’t have ratings you don’t have a show.

If Chuck Todd couldn’t carry the ball for Meet the Press he would have met the NBC human resource team just before being escorted out of the door long ago. Today you don’t get fired for misspeaking, inaccuracy, inadvertent omissions, inadvertent misquotes, or outright lying (Brian Williams). You can get fired if you sexually harass your makeup artist (Chis Matthews) or frequent contributors (Bill O’Reilly). And you will get fired if your ratings don’t produce enough ad money for the time slot you compete in.

With a divided country you can almost say anything you want. Why? Because soon you will be yesterday’s news. And in today’s journalistic world apparently that is a good thing.