Episode 306: The U.S. of Play - Part 2: Silly Putty, Twister and Monopoly

Jul 1

In honor of America's 250th anniversary, we're continuing our mini-series on iconic American toys and games that took on lives of their own. Strong National Museum of Play curators Michelle Parnett-Dwer and Mirek Stolee, along with game designer and author Tim Walsh, join me to unpack how Silly Putty, Twister, and Monopoly slipped between the complicated world of adults and the realm of childhood. HSE University professor Roman Abramov tells me how Soviet kids in the '80s built their own DIY versions of Monopoly behind the Iron Curtain. And I travel back to middle school to relive my role in a children's theater group that staged an original musical about Monopoly that was also a critique of capitalism.

Transcript of The U.S. of Play - Part 2: Silly Putty, Twister and Monopoly

MUSIC LIST

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Backed Vibes by Kevin MacLeod 
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Call Me Baby by John Runefelt
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Silver Bullet by Elliot Holmes
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Game Hens by Blue Dot Sessions
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Khorasan by Blue Dot Sessions
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Calisson by Blue Dot Sessions
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Computer Wiz by Marten Moses  
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Looking for Something by Sanctus
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Roman Abramov’s homemade version of Monopoly or “The States” in the 1980s.

TwisterMonopolySilly Putty

Eric Molinsky

Episode 306: The U.S. of Play - Part 2: Silly Putty, Twister and Monopoly

Episode 305: The U.S. of Play - Part 1: Wagons, Bears and Dolls