PETER'S QUIZ - Answers!
Here are the Day 1 answers!
Entertainment:
1) Who is the current voice of Kermit the Frog?
Steve Whitmire!
As you may or may not know, I'm totally obsessed with The Muppets. When I moved countries I got rid of all my non-Muppet books, and over the course of reading everything I could about their creation and development (and Jim Henson's death), you pick up a lot of incidental information. This one, to me, is an insanely obvious one, but I think maybe one or two people got it.
(That's the main reason I wanted to put this quiz together! I'm always fascinated by how much other people consider obvious that I don't know at all, and vice-versa.)
2) What is the highest-grossing film directed by a woman?
Frozen!
At its peak, Frozen was the fifth-highest grossing film of all time. It's still the highest-grossing animated film, and since Jennifer Lee was one of the directors, it's the highest-grossing film directed by a woman.
A few people pointed out that it shouldn't count, because it's only co-directed by a woman, but fuck that. No one has ever said "No Country For Old Man doesn't belong on a list of films directed by a man." (Also, Disney/Pixar tend to use "co-directed" in a really specific way that doesn't apply here. Frozen was directed by Jennifer Lee. It was also directed by Chris Buck. I have no issue with that.)
3) Which is the only Pixar film that the Pizza Planet truck doesn't appear in?
The Incredibles!
The Pizza Planet truck features prominently in Toy Story and Toy Story 2, and since then has become one of the Pixar easter eggs (along with the Pixar Ball, A113, and a reference to a future film) that appears in all of their features. Except for The Incredibles - there's a bunch of different reasoning for this, but the one that makes the most sense is "Brad Bird was new to the company and didn't realize they were doing that".
The best cameo is in Brave (it's a wooden carving in the witch's hut) and the worst is in The Good Dinosaur (there are rocks which are shaped like the truck above the pawprint rocks on the silo). I really want to make a series of YouTube videos about Easter Eggs some day; they're one of my total obsessions.
4) Name two Rob Reiner films in which a character always reads the last page of a book before reading the rest.
Alex and Emma, and When Harry Met Sally.
No one got this one. I should have seen this coming - firstly, knowing what films Rob Reiner directed isn't super common (unlike Tarantino or The Coen Brothers or even Spielberg, who have a really distinct style, Rob Reiner is incredible because of the versatility of his work). Secondly, one of the films is shiiiiiiit, and I don't blame you for not having seen it/not remembering its weird reference to one of his earlier, vastly superior works.
5) Why was Beyonce's song "Drunk In Love" banned from several college radio stations?
The line "Eat the cake, Anna Mae", an obscure reference to a Tina Turner documentary.
This one flabbergasted me at the time. The song itself doesn't make any direct reference to domestic violence, but it quotes a scene in a doco where Tina Turner is being forced to eat cake by her abusive partner. I find it so, so weird that some places banned the song not because of anything it directly says, but because if you saw this documentary and remembered the context of the scene and remembered the line and connected them, you might be...triggered? Offended? I don't even know. Bizarre.
6) For which song did Amanda Palmer request 4-syllable item suggestions from Twitter?
The Ukulele Anthem
One of my favourite songs, there's an extended part where she lists off items. "Your flask of Jack, your virator, your fear of heights, your Nikon lens, your disco stick, your ginsu knives, your rosary."
Now that I actually count it, I guess she asked for 3-syllable items. I don't think anyone got this, and I doubt changing "4" to "3" would have drastically altered that fact.
7) We had a spy on the inside. That's right:
HERCULES MULLIGAN
This is one of the best lines from one of the greatest musicals of all time. The reason I generally dislike trivia is because it's a binary state - you either get it or you don't. You can't work at it like a puzzle or strategize, it's just "oh I know that!" or "nope, no idea".
You either knew this one or you didn't, and that's fine! That's trivia. That's why it sucks but I think that's also why people like it so much.
8) Immediately before hosting his own late night talk show, which TV series was Conan O'Brien a writer for?
The Simpsons.
I actually phrased this as "Before" (no "immediately") and so I also accepted Saturday Night Live as an asnwer, but know that the above is the -true- form of the question.
And yeah, Conan was a Simpsons writer! I think that's so cool and interesting. His best-known episode is widely considered the best Simpsons episode of all time, Marge vs The Monorail. After he left the show, the writers wrote him in a few times, which is fun.
9) Who was the youngest showrunner in TV history?
Seth MacFarlene!
Absolutely no one got this, which was bewildering to me. Again though, that's why I made this quiz - turns out that my total obsession with showrunners is not a common thing.
When he started Family Guy (which he was the showrunner for, as well as voicing the three main characters), Seth MacFarlene was twenty-four.
Twenty. Four. Amazing.
10) Which Australian TV series did Greg Daniels adapt for the US?
Kath and Kim
Greg Daniels is best known for being the co-creator of Parks and Recreation and for bringing The Office to the US (and not being the showrunner for seasons 6-8, which I'm watching now. They're the worrrrrrst.) Before that, he was a Simpsons writer.
At some point, he tried to adapt Kath and Kim (probably the best-known Aussie sitcom from the last 20-30 years) for a US audience.
It bombed. It bombed hard.
More answers tomorrow!
Australian living in Toronto. I make a lot of games. http://about.peterchayward.com
Day 2
History and Politics:
1) BLANK for America was consistently the lowest-polling candidate for the 2016 Republican Party presidential nomination. Who is BLANK?
Jim Gilmore.
My little brother and I have spent the last few months totally obsessed with the election. Jim Gilmore's continued presence in the race (I think he was the last or second-last to drop out) despite absolutely no one voting for him became a recurring joke.
Xander: "I think Donald Trump should steal the slogan of one of his fallen opponents. Donald Trump: Gilmore For America."
2) Abbott and Costello are the surnames of which two prominent Australian politicians?
Tony Abbott and Peter Costello.
This has always amused me. They weren't both prominent at the same time, but the Australian right-wing party has indeed had an Abbott and Costello.
3) Which former mayor of Toowoomba led the campaign against treated sewage water during the drought?
Clive Berghofer.
This was a big part of my teen years - Toowoomba went through a massive drought, and so the mayor at the time (Di Thorley) suggested that some of the sewage be treated to be drinkable. Clive Berghofer (who looooves seeing his name on things - I had friends who lived on Clive Crescent, Berghofer Drive, and the Royal Brisbane Woman's Hospital has the Clive Berghofer Cancer Research wing) poured a bunch of money into opposing this.
For a while, "Poowoomba" was a national story. It didn't go through (mostly because of fear, ignorance, catchy slogans, and misinformation) and the drought continued for many more years.
...until Toowoomba flooded.
4) What was Toronto's name before it was Toronto?
York!
I've been in Canada for a bit over 3 months now, and learned this when asking why there was a "North York" but no actual York.
5) Why did Mark Hofmann start bombing Mormon document collectors?
I accepted pretty broad answers here - the short version is that he had created numerous fradulent Mormon documents and sold them to the church of LDS. He led an incredible lavish lifestyle, and went deeply into debt - to buy more time from debt collectors, people who he'd promised documents to, and to distract people who were starting to suspect his counterfeiting, he bombed some other people in his industry and his own car, to make it look like Mormon document collectors were generally being attacked, and he just happened to be one of the victims.
The best part of the story is that he sold two types of documents to the Mormon Church - ones which supported their views, which they bought to proudly present...and ones which contradicted their views, which they bought to ensure that no one else ever saw. (They believed that both types were legitimate).
6) In which year was Australia Federated?
1901!
The centennial (2001) was a pretty big deal.
7) It's crazy that the guy who comes in second gets to be Vice President. We can change that. You know why?
"Because I'm the President."
Another of my favourite lines from my favourite musicals.
8) Why didn't the Ancient Egyptians ride horses?
Their horses were too small!
I knew the bare bones of this, and actually learned a lot more from the comments. Apparently rideable horses didn't really become a thing until the Mongols (who spent ages breeding them to be big enough to carry humans) started invading all over the world, bringing their horses with them. Super cool!
9) Which was the first state to ratify the US Constitution?
Delaware!
I went and visited my friend Darrell (of DHMG) in Delaware, and got to see the pub where it was first ratified, and a bunch of other cool historical things.
10) Who was the youngest female convict on the First Fleet?
Elizabeth Hayward!
You can understand why I (and my sister Elizabeth) know this one, but I was surprised to see that one other person did as well.
Australian living in Toronto. I make a lot of games. http://about.peterchayward.com
Peter: 7/10. Really good try though.
skippy that is not how it works
Australian living in Toronto. I make a lot of games. http://about.peterchayward.com
I'm laughing so hard at those comments I'm dying
Day 3
Sports & Leisure:
1) What is the nickname for the Australian national soccer team?
Men's team: The Socceroos! Women's team: The Matildas!
I didn't know the latter at the time of posting, so anyone who answered with that gets a retroactive bonus point.
Honestly, I actually didn't realize that soccer was a gendered sport; the last time I played any kind of sport was in class during highschool, where we weren't split up by gender. I suppose I've heard the term "woman's soccer" but I've genuinely never thought about it before. I expend very little mental energy on sports.
2) What is field hockey called in Australia?
Hockey! And what we call "Ice Hockey" is just called "Hockey" in Canada and the US.
3) Who is (widely considered) to be Australia's greatest batsman?
Sir Donald Bradman!
People mentioned how easy these first three questions were. This is because I really don't know much about sports - they were genuinely the hardest questions I could devise without research. Also the only three interesting sports questions I could devise without research, which is why I quickly went off-theme and then added "leisure" into the mix just to reach 10.
4) Combine dodgem cars, a basketball court, lacrosse scoops, and a wiffleball and you'll get which sport?
Whirleyball!
I have only played it the once, but I fucking loved it. Seriously the best.
5) Which famous piece of Harry Potter fanfiction analyses the faults of Quidditch?
Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality!
To my bewilderment, many many people answered "Quidditch Through The Ages". This is wrong on two levels:
-it's written by JK Rowling, and so by definition isn't fanfiction
-it doesn't analyse the faults of Quidditch (unless I'm seriously misremembering the contents of that book).
A few people also answered "Heaps of them." I don't want to be a curmudgeon, but handy tip: unless you actually give me a name, I can't verify that you know the answer to the question. Otherwise you could just answer EVERY question in a similarly vague way. Next time, say "Heaps of them:" and then list some examples. You get a chance at a point that way, and it's far less annoying.
6) In The Adventures of Dr. McNinja, who brought tennis into existence from an alternate dimension?
King Radical!
This one was really tricky to phrase. It was originally "who invented tennis", which is not really correct, and then "who brought tennis into reality", until I realized other realities are also realities. I couldn't say "this dimension", because it's explicitly not...
Writing trivia questions is a fun exercise in precision. Some people also answered in a spoilerific way. They still got points, but it was not necessary to include a spoiler in your answer, guys!
7) I spend hours in the garden. I walk alone to the store. And it's quiet uptown. I never liked the:
Quiet before!
This is a line from the best musical of all time.
8) Rubik's Cube and Codenames have both won which award?
The Spiel des Jahres!
The SDJ is the biggest award in board gaming, and I'm totally fascinated by it. Codenames won this year, and I was amazed to learn how long it had been around...and how famous some of the early winners still are.
9) Name three games which have achieved #1 in the BoardGameGeek rankings.
I would have accepted any of the following: Pandemic: Legacy, Twilight Struggle, Agricola, Puerto Rico, Tigris and Euphrates, Paths of Glory!
Others have hit #1 because of pranks, but no one guessed any of them so I didn't have to look them up. I think exactly one person got the point for this, so: well done, person!
I was really amused by how many people included "Codenames" as one of their guesses.
10) Who voiced Abe in Abe's Oddysee and its various sequels?
Lorne Lanning!
This is another personal obsession. Lorne Lanning was the main developer, writer, and voice actor on Abe's Oddysee and the other Oddworld games - my absolute favourite games growing up, and games that I still revisit as often I can. The creator is...eccentric? I don't really know. I've read every interview I can find with him, and he seems like a cool and interesting guy who I can't get a handle on.
For me, this is obvious, because I'm so fascinated by him. But there is really no reason for anyone else to know it - voice actors of 90's playstation games isn't really a field that gets a lot of attention. Still, I think two or three people got this one right!
(Fun fact: this and "who is the current voice of Kermit" are the two questions that inspired me to assemble this quiz.)
Australian living in Toronto. I make a lot of games. http://about.peterchayward.com
Or, or it's possible that one could remember one name and not another. Nothing intentionally spoilerific about that.
Stop lurking, it makes you look like a villain target
When you do things right, people won’t be sure you’ve done anything at all
I know I had the BGG question right, and I think at I saw at least one other answer in the thread that was identical to mine.
Avatar is relevant.
This was the first question you asked that had anything to do with anything I know anything about! And King Radical was immediately who came to mind, but I said, "Naw, it can't be that easy!" ARGH!
On the subject of Oddworld, the games aren't specifically Playstation - I played them on PC (well, the first two - the other two only came out on the XBox but I think they were ported to PC later...I bought a second-hand XBox a while after they came out so that's okay ;D). But I agree, they are most definitely an epic series of games with good stories and characters and humour and everything :D. And there was a book released called "The Art of Oddworld - The First Ten Years" which I managed to get on Amazon for about 22 quid, only to see it shoot up to over a hundred not long afterwards, so I'm glad I bought it when I did :D. I recommend it if it's somehow passed you by...but if you're as obsessed with the series as I was, I imagine it not only didn't pass you by but you probably spent a ridiculous amount of money gtting the hardback version or something :D.
I am the Wordweaver...
Basically, I like writing stuff ;)
They were originally PS1 exclusives, but you're right - they got ported to PC a few years (or months?) later!
Australian living in Toronto. I make a lot of games. http://about.peterchayward.com
Ah okay, well, they didn't feel like console ports (with terrible controls, etc) so it seems they did a good job :D. I know that in Japan, Abe's Oddysee was released as "Abe-a-Go-Go" on one platform. It came out on a bunch of different platforms, though - I seem to recall reading that there was even a (heavily cut-down) GameBoy version, or something. I seem to recall that Abe's ODdysee came out (on PC) in something like '98 and Exxoddus in 2000 but that's going from vaguely remembering what year I was in at school when they were released. And of course Munch and Stranger came out over the next couple of years or so on the XBox :). And they also re-released the original two games under the title "New 'n' Tasty", with updated graphics. I'm happy to stick to the originals, though. That said, when I last played them Oddysee kept randomly crashing (but I was able to finish it) and Exxoddus couldn't even be persuaded to run no matter which compatibility mode I tried to run it in. But that was on my previous computer - maybe they'll work on this one, I'll have to try it some time :D.
I am the Wordweaver...
Basically, I like writing stuff ;)