The Gist: Mary Pilon on Monopoly, and Mike Pesca on Dumbo and voice-over acting.

The Real Creator of Monopoly Was a Left-Wing Feminist. She Called It The Landlord’s Game.

The Real Creator of Monopoly Was a Left-Wing Feminist. She Called It The Landlord’s Game.

Slate
The Gist
A daily news and culture podcast with Mike Pesca.
March 10 2015 6:26 PM

Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect Patents

Early Monopoly was a left-wing teaching tool for railing against monopolists.

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We’ve all played it, but is it a good game?

Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by Mark Strozier/Flickr.

Listen to Episode 211 of Slate’s The Gist:

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Today on The Gist, Mary Pilon shares the real history of the board game your family never finishes. She’s the author of The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World's Favorite Board Game. Plus, Mike and his son Emmett explain what Dumbo tells us about the Greek economy. For the Spiel, a deep dive into voice-casting.

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Twitter: @slategist

Mike Pesca is the host of the Slate daily podcast The Gist. He also contributes reports and commentary to NPR.