Recently, I obtained a new Monopoly game set. There are three new pieces I’ve never seen before. I did some research, and apparently it’s “new” from 2017.
I never had this Monopoly set back then, and I also never had this blog site during that time, so today I will personally rank all eight pieces that came with this box, and explain exactly how they fit into our modern society.
Now if you’re like me, you might currently be thinking: Is that a dinosaur? What ever happened to that shoe, wheelbarrow, or even THIMBLE? Okay that rubber duck is pretty cool.
Monopoly is a game originally created in 1903, and titled The Landlord’s Game until updated and developed by the Parker Brothers in 1935.
The original pieces of Monopoly were the Top Hat, the Iron, the Thimble, the Battleship, the Shoe, the Car, and the Cannon. The Scottie Dog arrived since 1945, and has continued since then, but just about every piece besides the Battleship, Car and Top Hat has been removed. It makes a lot of sense if you were to relate all of the current pieces with the modern experiences in our economic society, and that is exactly what I’m going to do.
Car
The automobile was invented in 1886 by Karl Benz, and mass-produced by the Ford Motor Company in 1908. This Monopoly piece tells a time back when cars were a luxury item made in America. Seatbelts weren’t invented during this time, so safety wasn’t an issue, and vehicles were mostly made by underpaid workers who deserve a lot better than what they currently have. Thankfully we don’t see any of that today.
Battleship
The Battleship piece is a subtle reference to the board game Battleship. It was originally created to show what America spends most of its money on: the military. Thankfully, our modern times show that this is not the case anymore. Our current government certainly doesn’t spend an excessive amount for an organization that is overused and overpaid to be aggressive and intimidating towards countries in the middle east. No sir.
Top Hat
The Top Hat is a headgear item that Mr. Monopoly wears. Mr. Monopoly’s real name is “Rich Uncle Pennybags.” That is probably the stupidest name for someone I’ve ever heard. “If the top hat didn’t already give it away, we put the word ‘rich’ in front of is actual name so people know he’s wealthy.” What a stupid piece.
Dog (Terrier)
This scottie dog was brought to the board game in 1945. There’s not much I can say about this dog other than it’s a good piece. My mom has a bunch of photos and wooden figures of scottie dogs all around our kitchen, so I believe this is her favorite piece. Unlike many other pieces brought in later, this piece has stood the test of time, and continues to be a fan favorite.
Cat
It works out perfectly that a cat is a piece next to the dog. This cat piece was introduced in 2013 during an internet vote, but it also holds a deeper meaning. The term “Fat Cat” comes to mind when seeing this piece, which means “a wealthy or powerful person.” This piece also reminds me of the old film The Aristocats, which is a play on words to “aristocrat,” which means a person who is noble or in power.
Yes, this piece holds a dark energy that many people would not understand while playing, but I believe that this Monopoly piece could be the most corrupt out of all of them.
Penguin
This piece that was introduced in 2017 is a penguin. Penguins are normally characterized as wearing tuxedos, which are usually worn at rich, monetary events. This penguin decided to show up to this board game just to flaunt its wealth, which is a very self-centered thing to do.
Rubber Duck
This rubber duck piece, also introduced in 2017, harks back to a simpler time: youth. It’s reflective of an age where people didn’t have to worry about income taxes or renting property. This is a naive piece, and it must be preserved for its innocence.
It also reminds me of Ernie’s rubber duck from Sesame Street.
Dinosaur
This piece is probably the most mysterious. There’s no possible way an old, ancient dinosaur could run multiple monopolies, hold all the money, and control how the economy runs. These individuals can’t be controlling everything, they’re not in touch with the current environment, and everything’s been updated and improved by the younger generations, but these dinosaurs are stuck living in their old, horrible times. It certainly eludes me.
Next time you open up and start a Monopoly game, be sure to understand how the pieces reflect specific individuals in our daily lives. If anyone could determine what the dinosaur actually means, please let me know, and I’ll update this post accordingly.
Kristopher K. Online 