Deconstructing Monopoly

Before Christmas I got seriously creeped out by a startlingly widespread outbreak of "I hate Monopoly" over at T.O.S. I'm not sure exactly what disturbed me more about it - the level of time and energy that some people seemed happy to devote to trashing a game that tens of thousands of people thoroughly enjoy or the nasty, snarky, elitist undercurrent to a lot of the commentary on the subject. Either way it struck me that there are a lot better things in life to devote energy too or, for that matter, to get on your elitist high horse about.

However one good thing did come out of it. It set the wheels of my mind in motion and ended up indircetly producing this weeks BGN column. I doubt any of the people involved in the Monopoly hate will end up reading it, but hopefully it'll provide some interest and discussion points for you lot at least.

Oh, and sorry about recycling this old "weekly snapshot" image. But I thought the joke was worth repeating for anyone who missed it first time round.