Friday, February 5, 2010

Progress?! Puh-lease!

Is nothing sacred anymore?!

I saw on the news that Monopoly is revamping its traditional game to celebrate its 75th anniversary this year. The board is circular, the traditional metal tokens are being replaced, and there will be no money. Transactions will be handled electronically by the players inserting a card into the "game-pod" in the center of the board. What's the fun of that?! No longer will you be able to experience the fiendish delight that comes as your pile of money grows while your opponent's shrinks. And they've adjusted the game for inflation as well. When you pass GO you will get 2 million dollars, not $200.

Have they not realized that the well-known phrase Do not pass GO; do not collect $200 has become a standard colloquialism to express doom or finality? Somehow, Do not pass GO; do not collect 2 million dollars just doesn't have the same punch!

And look at those playing pieces! Those aren't nearly as fun as the dog, the top hat, the car or the other standard tokens.

I guess I'm officially old when I long for the good ol' days!



On the other hand, I am impressed with the new Heinz ketchup packet that was announced. I always wondered why they couldn't make dippable packets. Whataburger has them. Now this packet will have the best of both worlds: open at one end to squeeze or open at the other end for dipping. Now that is an improvement!

And what a career:
Designers found that what worked at a table didn't work where many people use ketchup packets: in the car. So two years ago, Heinz bought a used minivan for the design team members so they could give their ideas a real road test.

The team studied what each passenger needed. The driver wanted something that could sit on the armrest. Passengers wanted the choice of squeezing or dunking. Moms everywhere wanted a packet that held enough ketchup for the meal and didn't squirt onto clothes so easily. (ABC News)


Can you imagine if you meet someone and they ask where you work?! "I ride around in a minivan opening ketchup packets." Gives a whole new meaning to the term "company car."


Ketchup with you later!


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11 comments:

quilly said...

Let me be the first to condiment you on this hilarious blogpost. As a comic you more than cut the mustard. You'll likely never have to worry about running around in circles with your little plastic card worried avbout where your next million is coming from.

sara said...

well, I can't say it better than Quilly!!!!

but my son will be happy with the dipping ketchup!!!

CeeCee said...

Quilly, LOLOL! They should leave well enough alone. Now I agree with you about the ketchup. I'm a dunker!

Anonymous said...

I'm cryin' over here. They did the same thing to Life. Teaching our kids how to use the plastic. And the Monopoly board looks like a roulette table. It's a sad day in America. :(

Barbara H. said...

I should find a job like that. I am constantly thinking or saying things like, "Why don't they make it this way?" and "Don't the people who make these things ever use them and see the problems?!"

I hope this is just one of the many variations of Monopoly and that they keep their traditional board available. I agree the new one looks like a Roulette table.

Cindy said...

I think I'll go out and buy the original version of Monopoly while I still can.

Kristine Mullen said...

Unfortunately I think they're trying to cater to the 'new generation'. My son is 17 and will probably love it. That age group just doesn't know what 'classic' means. I agree with Cindy. We need to get the original while we still can.

And yes, I'm a dunker too. Can't wait until us New-Englanders can dip our ketchup.

Renee @ AddMoreChocolate said...

Yay for the ketchup. Boo for the Monopoly. Sigh...sometimes I just don't like progress.

If an archeologist ever "dug" through my minivan he would find enough fast food artifacts to fill a museum display!

Joyce said...

I'm with you on the Monopoly board. This is depressing. I guess kids understand a debit card better than cash and that's who they're marketing this to but still...

Have a nice weekend!

Anonymous said...

Boo hiss on the new Monopoly board.

And I actually like the new ketchup packets. We're big dippers around here. Probably because we eat a lot of nuggets/strips when we get fast food. :)

Bonnie said...

I am thoroughly disappointed in the new Monopoly game. This is how I learned to count money people!!! I'm still using the old one...! ;)