Friday, May 11, 2007

Quizzical


In am an avid listener to the Popmaster quiz on the Ken Bruce show on Radio 2. Every morning, around 10.30, I sit there with my headphones on listening online, trying to not allow my answers and my frustration with the contestants to escape from my lips. I’m not awfully good at remaining silent though: one of my colleagues says I sound like I have “musical Tourette’s”.

Today, I top-scored with 39 points. I have never done that before. The ‘real’ contestant only got nine. It was all I could do to rein in my frustration and stop myself screeching at his idiocy. I mean, everyone knows the Easybeats originally recorded Friday On My Mind and Paul Hardcastle's 19 was a hit in 1985. Don’t they?

I cannot stop myself screaming at the telly when Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? is on. It frustrates me when contestants use their lifelines so early – they should keep them for when they really need them instead of squandering them on simple questions.

I admit I am very competitive when it comes to quizzes; I hate to lose. Years ago, a housemate and I shared an obsession with Trivial Pursuit; I am a tiger at Triv. We played it repeatedly, until the questions kept coming round again and again, and it seemed rather futile to continue.

Once, I worked with a bloke who had made his living playing quiz machines in pubs. He had been banned from a number of venues for cleaning out the electronic quizmasters. He was in his 30s, lived with his parents, was spookily quiet and lacking in social skills. He probably ate encyclopaedias for breakfast.

My general knowledge isn’t quite as extensive as the encyclopaedia-eater's was
. It’s trivia that I adore and I seem to have the sort of brain that collects useless snippets of information. I just wish I were as good at remembering the important stuff.

21 comments:

Omega Mum said...

I can't remember anything without sticking huge notes on the front door. One friend describes her husband's similar gift for trivia as a 'sticky' memory. I'd love one. Just faintly adhesive would do it for me - I'm not asking for miracles.

lady macleod said...

I can imagine you in headphones popping out with answers to questions only you can hear. You know in some cultures they give you your own temple for that...

Anonymous said...

eminem - don't have a telly, so I get really frustrated if ever i visit anyone who watches 'millionaire'. my parents do, and i have to go out of the room watching these thick b****s chucking away lifelines for the best [and for some the only] chance they will have in life to win serious dosh - and they are umming and aaahing on whether to go from 4 to 8 grand for goodness sake.

Mind you, it is that 'shoutability' which has made it so successful. I now prefer pub quizzes - at least shouting at people too thick to get easy questions has some instant results...

Anonymous said...

Hmm.. I hadn't somehow envisaged you working in an office at a pc...

Mutterings and Meanderings said...

Hello and welcome, Omega Mum.

Lady M, that would be nice! In other places, they'd give me my own padded room...

Anon, I'm a journalist. Where did you expect me to work???

Anonymous said...

I'm good at trivia also, M&M. Haven't watched Millionaire in ages but when I did I'd end up screaming "it's..... you f.ing moron" and the children would rush in and tell me to calm down.

I reckon I could win a million that show easy peasy as long as there were NO questions on : the solar system and music.

Yorkshire Pudding said...

I know what you mean abot the "important stuff" - like jokes! I laugh and then they are gone - no matter how hard I try to hang onto them. Why is this? It is so good to make other people laugh and I have friends who could reel off a hundred jokes but me I can probably only recall five jokes and none of them current.

Drunk Mummy said...

Dear M&M,
I am a sucker for quizzes too. What you have to take into account about TV/radio quizzes is that without the stupid f***ers, there would be no programme.
I too am haunted by the fact that I can't remember the important stuff!

Arthur Clewley said...

M&M, you should try 'battle of the sexes' on scott and lisa in the morning! for instance yesterday: 'UK is futher south than the equator, true or false? true, and there was a another brilliant one too about 'women are on average taller than women, true or false? absolutely unmissable radio!

Arthur Clewley said...

taller than men, even, hmmm, I should get on that show...

The Secretary said...

I too listen to popmaster with Ken. That's one of the advantages of having ones own office, I can have my radio on and no need for headphones! I am quite rubbish at it though.

We have the Millionaire game for one of the various game consoles we have in the house, which always results in much hilarity after a bottle or two of Merlot.

What always suprises me is the fact that no matter what the 'game' if I play against my doddery old mum and dad, they will always win. The might forget where they left their teeth, but they still know who was the king of Hungry in 1754!

Anonymous said...

eminem - sorry, but I didn't realise you were a journalist ! Not sure you have ever mentioned your work very much before. I had a vision of you being an 'outdoorsy' type - although I suspect as a journo you get out and about into the country visiting people and interviewing them and so on. Or that maybe you had your own shop selling high quality clothing. With a lovely little cafe included to allow those who had travelled from far and wide to enjoy a light lunch after a hard morning's shopping.

Perhaps you ought to update the Martha and the Muffins classic 'Echo Beach'.. From 9 to 5 I have to spend my time half-pist, my job is very busy I'm a journalist, the only thing that helps me pass the time away, is knowing I'll back on the Grey Mare someday..'

Then again, perhaps not...

Sally Townsend said...

Have now discovered that I can listen to Radio 2 whilst supposedly working on the computer, lethal, just lethal. Concentration, zilch ...

Anonymous said...

enjoy it while you can, in 10 years time you'll have trouble remembering your own name let alone where you've left your keys, bag, glasses, man, mind,

Catherine said...

Thanks for the link M&M. I am sitting at home this Saturday evening feeling pretty grim - still recovering from horrible virus thing and this week has been particularly trying.

Exceptionally, I have two invitations tonight both of which I have had to decline. One of them is to the local quizz night, which is being hosted by my ex as featured in my blog recently. I had to drop my son off at the house next door to the venue just now and his car was sitting right there, so near but so far. Still got the hots for him. In fact he's much more attractive now we've broken up.

@themill said...

My brain turned to porridge when I had the children and I've lived one long c.r.a.f.t. moment ever since.

Mutterings and Meanderings said...

Sarnia, I'll be your phone a friend for music questions ..

YP, that happens to me. I hate it when I remember the punchline but not how to get there...

Drunk Mummy, what gets me is why they enter is they're so thick ...

Arthur, I have written a fair few radio quiz questions in my time - but I always had certain standards!

Secretary, your parents must be like me - important stuff out the window, trivia remains forever!

Anon, I love Echo Beach ... by M&M...


Greetings Sally's Chateau. Online radio is a fab invention!

Oh Ziggi, you ain't that old!

Marianne, hope you're feeling better. It's always worst when you want what you can't have!

@themill, I'm sure that's not true!

Me said...

.. musical Tourette's.

Says it all.

I'm normally terrible at trivia but when I'm on a roll I'm on a roll.

Linda Mason said...

Being 15 years between us, me and Mr Mags are prefect quiz partners. I remember all the old sport, news and music and he knows all the new stuff. The only time we enter quizzes is on holiday. We are international quiz champions....well we were, back in Crete, four years ago. Beat loads of Italians, Greeks, Germans, French and Dutch and were well pleased because there was just the two of us whereas they were all mob handed. The children thought we were wonderful....I suppose it has to happen at least once in their lives.

I loathe quiz programmes though, especially Millionaire.

Andres, JCT said...

if you ever listened to my radio show, Barbara's Bedroom, you would be impressed with a unique brand of entertainment. too bad, we're in the midst of scheduling nightmares, so a definite show time cannot be given. anyway, glad to see someone still listens ot the radio.

Richard Havers said...

Here's something really obscure.....


The voice of the soldier on 19 is Clarke Peters who is currently starring in Porgy & Bess in London.