August is a pretty slow month on everybody’s weblogs, mine included. Sometimes I click on my own page and I can almost hear the tumbleweeds blowing by. In an effort to liven things up around here, I offer the first annual Words Mean Things Pop Culture Trivia Contest.
The rules are simple: no reference books, no internet searches, no help from others, nothing. All answers must come from off the top of your head. Just pretend you’re on “The Weakest Link” and the camera is trained on you. Of course, I can’t be there to enforce this, but we’re all friends here, right?
This is by no means a comprehensive test of your pop culture knowledge. But it’s stuff *I* think is important for a well-rounded pop culture background. As my friend Patti says, I was raised by the TV, so there’s a lot of TV stuff here, with some movie, book and video game stuff sprinkled in.
E-mail your answers to me by next Monday, Aug. 25.
First prize: a silver Gameboy Advance (the older one, without the backlight).
Second prize: A novelty Simpsons digital watch.
Third prize: You did see “Glengarry Glen Ross,” didn’t you?
Basic shipping in U.S. included, although if there is a tie of any kind, anyone who can actually pick up their prize will get preferential treatment. (I know that’s not fair. But it’s my contest.)
OK. Here goes. Good luck.
1. What is Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski’s favorite drink?
2. What sort of business does Ignatius Reilly work at as a file clerk?
3. Where did Dr. Nick Riviera get his surgical gloves?
4. What was Jaime Sommers’ main cover occupation?
5. What is Margot Tenenbaum’s middle name?
6. What are the bottoms of Tiggers made out of?
7. In “Fearless,” what did Jeff Bridges buy for his dead father?
8. Name two of the four lead actresses in “Clockwatchers.”
9. What does Ralph Wiggum’s cat’s breath smell like?
10. What movie star got her first big break on a “Six Million Dollar Man/Bionic Woman” reunion movie?
11. Who are the hosts of TechTV’s “The Screen Savers”?
12. What are the character names of the three sisters on “Charmed” (first and last)?
13. What is the name of the lead producer on HBO’s “Project Greenlight”?
14. On “Fawlty Towers,” what was Manuel’s pet?
15. Who was Nurse Chapel secretly in love with?
-Bonus question: What was the full name of the actress who played Nurse Chapel?
16. What was Edward Norton’s character’s name in “Fight Club”?
17. Who does the voice of Brain on “Pinky and the Brain”?
18. What is Stuart Smalley’s slogan?
19. What movie includes the line, “Who invented liquid soap and why?”
20. Whose number is 24601?
21. What school did Tootie and Natalie attend?
22. What holiday did Frank Costanza invent?
23. In what year is “Futurama” set?
24. Who wrote “Einstein’s Dreams”?
25. What are the two alien races in “Halo”?
Oh my god. Sometimes I feel all hip on the pop culture because I’m always explaining things to my husband (grew up with academics for parents, poor dear). But I hardly know any of those.
Aw, Adam. If they were only Simpsons trivia (with the odd Royal Tennenbaums and Seinfeld thrown in), I would so be all over this. But sadly, I hardly know any of them.
BTW, number 20 has two possible answers, although I assume you’re looking for the less literary of the two. But you never know.
Melissa: You’ll still take a stab at it, right? As for #20, the answer I was thinking of is extremely literary. E-mail me the other one… One other question definitely has two possible answers, but I prefer one of them. (Xkot’s already provided both answers to this question. Good job, Xkot.)
Wah! It’s too hard.
I know exactly one question, #1. 🙁
Do I still get to take home that cute guy that hosts The Weakest Link ?
Looks like i blew everyone out of the water…. for the weakest link position. good luck to everyone else! i don’t think i got even one right.
Okay, I played. I played poorly, but I played. Actually a few of them had a couple of possible answers. That, or I just think I know a lot more than I really know.
Good fun.
I played. The ones I know I know cold. The ones I don’t know… well… oh well 🙂