There is nothing inherently sexist about Monopoly: Women and men can, in equal measure, buy properties, pay income taxes, and get thrown in jail.
Yet Hasbro (perhaps ashamed of the board game’s old-white-man mascot) has introduced the franchise’s first-ever title celebrating female trailblazers—starting with Ms. Monopoly.
The yin to real-estate mogul Rich Uncle Pennybags’ yang, Ms. Monopoly is “an advocate whose mission is to invest in female entrepreneurs.”
Hasbro took a page from its own rule book, surprising young female inventors and entrepreneurs with more than $20,000 in real money (none of that colorful one-sided crap).
The young innovators come from very different backgrounds, but all share a common goal to help others.
- Sophia Wang: The 16-year-old from Connecticut invented a device that detects sinkholes before they occur
- Gitanjali Rao: The 13-year-old from Denver designed an inexpensive, portable device that quickly and easily detects lead in drinking water
- Ava Canney: The 16-year-old from Ireland built a spectrometer to measure the amount of dye in candy and soda
“Through the introduction of Ms. Monopoly and the money these young women have received to invest in their future projects, we want to recognize and celebrate the many contributions women have made to our society and continue to make on a daily basis,” Jen Boswinkel, senior director of Hasbro’s global brand strategy and marketing, said in a statement.
Hitting shelves this month, the new romp replaces houses with business headquarters and properties with innovations.
“From inventions like WiFi to chocolate chip cookies, solar heating and modern shapewear, Ms. Monopoly celebrates everything from scientific advancements to everyday accessories—all created by women,” according to a Hasbro press release.
It even affords women fictional advantages typically reserved for men: When ladies pass “Go,” they collect $240; gents are cut off at the usual $200.
But as Forbes pointed out, the game maker’s goal should be equality, not asymmetry.
“Women don’t need constant reminders of our lot in life or to be told we only won because the rules gave women an unfair advantage,” contributor Kim Elsesser wrote. “We get enough of that at work.”
Ironically, Hasbro neglects to mention one very important female inventor: Lizzie Magie, the women who all but invented Monopoly.
In the early 1900s, Magie created The Landlord’s Game, aimed at illustrating the negative aspects of concentrating land in private monopolies.
Thirty years later, Charles Darrow pinched the rules, distributed the pastime himself, and became the first millionaire game designer in history.
Ms. Monopoly is available to pre-order via Walmart, and will be available at most major retailers nationwide for $19.99.
More on Geek.com:
- Voice-Activated Monopoly Game Eliminates Human Banking Error
- Go Ahead, Cheat in Special Edition Monopoly Game
- ‘IT’-Themed Clue and Monopoly Are Coming for Creepy Game Nights
