In the midst of the Great Depression, out-of-work salesman Charles Darrow sold the board game he created, Monopoly, to Parker Brothers. The game was an overnight success, and Charles became a hopeful example of the American dream. But soon, fellow game obsessives questioned Charles’s inventor status. Decades later, another game creator’s tireless pursuit of ... Show More
Jul 14
Listen Now: Dan Taberski’s Manifesto
Just in time for America’s 250th birthday, follow Dan Taberski (Hysterical, 9/12, Missing Richard Simmons) as he sets off on his most complicated quest yet: to reclaim the manifesto and write his own. Dan attempts to rescue the manifesto as a form from the sweaty clutches of cyni ... Show More
8m 1s
Dec 2021
The secret history of Monopoly
In 1904, a left-wing American feminist called Lizzy Magie patented a board game that evolved into what we now know as Monopoly. But 30 years later, when Monopoly was first marketed in the United States during the Great Depression, it was an out-of-work salesman from Pennsylvania ... Show More
9m 4s
Sep 2024
Ep481 - Mary Pilon | Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World's Favorite Board Game
Author Mary Pilon visits Google to discuss her book, "The Monopolists". The book reveals the unknown story of how the classic board game Monopoly came into existence, the reinvention of its history by Parker Brothers and multiple media outlets, the lost female originator of the g ... Show More
44m 27s
Jan 2019
How the Monopoly Board Game Became a World War II Escape Kit
Monopoly is a pretty divisive game, and people tend to either love it or hate it. However, for hundreds of Allied POWs captured during World War II, Monopoly became more than a mere diversion -- it became, instead, their ticket to freedom. Join the guys as they explore the strang ... Show More
28m 52s
Nov 2022
The McDonald's Monopoly Game Conspiracy
In the 90s, there was a huge fraud conspiracy surrounding McDonald’s monopoly promotional game. Anyone could play, and anyone had the chance to win a prize, from a free sandwich to a car to a million dollars. The odds of winning were slim… so how was it that several of the winner ... Show More
21m 35s