I have figured out the appeal of quiz shows. Like why people go on them. Going on a quiz show is a really big risk, you know. It’s like, here’s an opportunity to show how much stuff you know. And what if the answer to that question is “Not much”? Then everyone knows that despite your carefully contrived aura of wisdom, you actually don’t even know things like “Who was the 42nd President of the United States?” because you never bothered to count them. And you could actually know a lot, but everyone has these gaps in their knowledge, so you could blow an easy one like “What country do they make Waterford crystal in?” and everyone at home is eating potato chips and thinking, “If he doesn’t know that one, then he probably doesn’t even know (say) how many cards are in a deck.”
So why do they do it? Because there are PRIZES. I don’t care how stupid you make me look as long as people can see me WINNING STUFF.
And that is why I found myself at the Channel 7 studios this evening with a bunch of other eager contestants trying out for a new quiz show, called Quiz Show. It’s still in development, but apparently it’s a serious one with a million dollars at the end of it.
Everyone took the 40 question test, on which I scored a modest 24. I put that down to not knowing any Australian trivia, and also I can never remember for the life of me whether it’s M or Q that designs the weapons for James Bond. Lucky for me the cutoff was 18 tonight, so I stayed while half the crowd filed out in an abashed way.
Then it was the interview, where I chatted for a few minutes with a lovely young lady named Belinda, and when I say ‘chatted’, I mean ‘tried desperately to leave a positive impression’.
They may call in a few weeks or a few months for the taping. But I’m through to the next round. I’ll keep you posted.
Let’s make this an open thread. Put your favourite trivia question in comments.
15 June 2006 at 4:24 pm
It’s M. (Man, I bet he doesn’t even know Just how many licks it takes to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?)
Where’s my chips?
Trivia: How many bytes in a kilobyte? (no using the internet or calculator) Only your mind.
15 June 2006 at 11:46 pm
That’s a good one because you want to blurt out ‘1000’! But it’s really 1024, isn’t it?
When you answer one, you have to put a new question.
What’s the fourth largest continent?
16 June 2006 at 3:11 pm
Atlantis?
No, Im going to go with Sudamerica.
16 June 2006 at 3:16 pm
How many frat boys does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
16 June 2006 at 4:24 pm
Correct, and I give up.
Wait, that’s not a trivia question!
16 June 2006 at 4:44 pm
answer to trivia joke:
1 to screw in the lightbulb and 9 to hold it against its will.
Who received thier first dear john letter at the exact same post office in Valparaiso?
16 June 2006 at 4:44 pm
as me
17 June 2006 at 11:01 am
Who first announced Jimi Hendrix’s death to the media? For bonus points, what is that guy doing now?
19 June 2006 at 5:40 pm
I was going to say ‘Joey Ramone’ and ‘pushing up the daisies’, but that can’t be right.
I am so toast on this quiz show.
19 June 2006 at 6:16 pm
Im going with Noel Redding but I think pushing up the daisies is correct.