YOU DECIDE: Ms. Monopoly

No doubt you’re familiar with the classic board game Monopoly, but are you aware that a new version of the old favorite just came out called Ms. Monopoly? The new version features a cartoon female on the box instead of “Rich Uncle Pennybags” the usual old white male mascot. But the changes don’t stop there. In this game, female players collect $240 every time they pass “Go,” while male players only collect $200. They also start out with $1,900 at the beginning, while men start out with just $1,500.

Why? The game is highlighting the fact that, in regular life, men make more money than women do. In addition to the financial head start, the traditional “properties” on the Monopoly board have been replaced by inventions created by women. (Fun fact: Monopoly itself was invented by a woman named Elizabeth Magie in 1904.)

But is this new version of the old favorite game a good idea, or does it create more problems than it attempts to solve?

You Decide: Yes or No to Ms. Monopoly?

YES

• The game sends a positive message about female empowerment and will bring greater awareness to the important issue of income differences between men and women.
• Elizabeth Magie originally invented Monopoly in 1904 as a critique about wealth inequality. She called it “The Landlord’s Game.” It is fitting that the game is again being used to criticize unfair social norms.
• Hasbro has come up with several “updated” Monopoly versions, including “Monopoly Socialism” and “Monopoly for Millennials”. These games all look at social issues and problems in a fun way.
• Ms. Monopoly can teach girls about income inequality and the real-life contributions of women in a fun, positive way.

NO

• A game in which female players have different rules than male players is sexist and gives female players an unfair advantage.
• If a female player wins the game, it will seem like she only did so because the rules worked to her advantage.
• Making income equality into a game “glosses over” the problem and doesn’t take it seriously enough.
• A game that gives women unfair advantages over men will just cause men and women to become more resentful of each other in the long run.