MYSTERY DATE!
Lite Brite, Ants In The Pants, Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, Masterpiece, Operation, Mousetrap, Smash Up Derby, The Evil Knievel Stunt Cycle, Simon, and Gnip Gnop — these were the games of my childhood.
Little did I know that all of those amazing toys originated from one company located in a highly secretive bunker just a few miles south of my suburban Chicago home. Marvin Glass, the founder of Marvin Glass & Associates, was one of the most prolific and brilliant toy inventors of the 20th century. His company’s product list is my childhood.
One of the most beloved and collectible board games of all time, also created by Marvin Glass & Associates, was a game called Mystery Date.
Here’s the commercial from 1965.
One of the most sought-after games of the 1960s, if you were a little girl back then, this game was EV-ER-Y-THING. Marketed to girls 6-14 years old, the game was a runaway hit. The best part of every slumber party and girlie playdate, the Mystery Date commercial jingle became part of the vernacular. To this day, most women in their 50s can probably sing it word for word.
Yeah, so like every other little girl, I was OBSESSED with this game. In a way, it made me feel grown up and a little naughty to be playing a game about dating.
But…
Now a million years later, in a completely different world. I find it to be a little more problematic. I have a biracial, 14 year-old daughter and looking back on my beloved childhood board game, I kinda have some issues. Like real issues.
On this episode, I chat with three good friends about Mystery Date. Frances Callier, a comedian and regular pundit on the Sexy Liberal Show. My dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker friend, TV writer and producer, Francesca Rollins, whose connection to the game is as New York as can be. Plus my friend and lifetime Mystery Date superfan, Mike Mannarino, an executive with a major Silicon Valley tech firm.
Through today’s lens and current political climate, this game looks a lot different to all of us. And the subtext is, in a word, icky.
I’d like to say a special thank you to rights and clearances consultant Amy Goodfriend and to the wonderful folks at Hasbro for allowing me to use their awesome jingle in the show.
Also, I’m not gonna lie, I wish I still had my original version of the game. With the right framing, I actually think it could still be a lot of fun.
Sex Ed The Musical is available on iTunes, Stitcher, Podtail, IHeartRadio, Podbay, Spotify and more.
Please follow, share and subscribe wherever you enjoy podcasts.
Also, if you’d be so kind as to leave us a 5-Star Review,
we’d gratefully appreciate it.
Be sure to check out my writing on Medium.com here!
Now that we have crossed the 58,000 downloads threshold, Sex Ed The Musical is actively pursuing sponsorship opportunities. If you represent a super awesome brand that fits in with our super awesome philosophy and want to reach the smartest and sexiest podcast audience in the world, please email us at info@sexedthemusical.com.
Thanks for listening!
Disclosure: Sex Ed The Musical is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This post contains affiliate links. Any sales made through such links may net me a small commission – at absolutely no extra cost to you. When you make a purchase using an Amazon link, you help to offset the high price of producing this podcast and/or my breakfast taco addiction. Thank you!