Pieces and Parodies
Monotony. Brenda Turner, 1984.
A clever parody of the board game Monopoly, Monotony relies on the stereotyping of a housewife’s lifestyle for its entertainment value. "The object of Monotony is survival." Players manage husbands, dust balls, pets, grocery sacks and kids with "Obligation" and "Duty" cards, while coupons replace money.
Old Bachelor. University Games, 1994.
The loser in Old Maid is the unlucky holder of the "Old Maid" card, a goal that reinforces the historical stigma attached to unmarried women. The 1990s parody Old Bachelor, portrays successful contemporary female figures, with the anachronistic old bachelor as the loser.
Old Maid. Leicester, Massachusetts: Russell, 1945.
The loser in Old Maid is the unlucky holder of the "Old Maid" card, a goal that reinforces the historical stigma attached to unmarried women.
Stork Bingo. Toledo, Ohio: Leister Game Co., 1970.
This parody of Bingo, which was first published in 1857, was designed as a party game for a baby shower. The winner shouts "Stork!" instead of "Bingo!" Squares are marked off when gifts are opened.
Happy Families. Bavaria, Germany: Spear's Games, ca. 1900.
Happy Families was one of the first card games developed to amuse rather than to educate children. Using caricature that often borders on the grotesque, it depicts a variety of working class and merchant families.