Guess Who?

I was watching TV today, and I saw an add for (what I assuming is a new version of) Milton Bradley's Guess Who? This new Guess Who? Extra has changeable line-up cards, and electronic timers, and trap doors. This is surely the Cadillac of Guess Who?

I remember the original 1987 version of Guess Who where there were 5 women and 19 men. If you were unlucky enough to pick Jan out of the pile, you were finished.

Is your person a man? No. (The sound of plastic doors and your chance of victory being slammed shut)

And this game is still very relevant for me today. There is logic without the stress of Chess or the annoying pegs of Battleship. A sense of mystery without the inordinate setup of Clue. And there is a quick winner without having to go bankrupt in Monopoly.

Why, just a few months ago, my brother and I were playing, and our questions were updated for adult versions of us.
Does your person look like they are a jerk?
Does your person look like they have an inflated albeit unfounded sense of pride?
If I were a woman, would I want to make out with your person?

Of course the game always devolves into screaming matches about how we have skewed opinions of our cartoon, Guess Who? characters.

But that's what's so great about Guess Who? It is a quick way to have a big laugh. Other games take themselves too seriously. Sure, I love a good game of Backgammon, but my abs never hurt after I finish playing. There is something so wonderfully cynical about playing a game where we are asked to judge the appearances of others.

You might be wondering what kind of show I was watching to have such an advertisement, and I'm not ashamed to say that Spiderman cartoons have really come a long way. And so has Guess Who? Now with Guess Who? Extra, I can add over a hundred faces to my original lineup of 24, and make even more off-color comments with my loved ones.

Ah. Board games. Bringing people closer together through a shared sense of rudeness.