Trivia Recap: 2/22

Team: Marc, Darren, Mary, Hannah

Hint of the Day: a light bulb

Hey, guess what!  We remembered to take a team photo this week, so you don’t need to worry about the AI machines taking over the photos!

You do, however, need to worry about the AI machines taking over the writing of the blog post, as I didn’t really feel like doing much writing myself and everyone insists that I do it.  I enjoy it most nights but as far as I can tell Hannah and Mary are the only people who read the blog – they both swear that their moms do, but I am not sure that is all that much better (no offense, Moms!)  So I gave some of the pertinent details to ChatGPT and let it take over.   It describes the first half like this:

In the cozy ambiance of a local bar, amidst the pitter-patter of raindrops, four teachers transformed into trivia titans, clinching victory in a heated competition. Mary, Marc, Darren, and Hannah, armed with their collective knowledge and unwavering camaraderie, conquered an array of brain-teasers, proving that intellect knows no bounds.

The night was set against a backdrop of rain, lending an air of coziness to the bar's atmosphere. As the quartet delved into the trivia fray, their minds were fueled not only by their collective expertise but also by the tantalizing taste of IPA beers. With each sip, they found themselves buoyed by the hoppy flavors, fortifying their resolve to emerge triumphant.

The trivia questions spanned a diverse array of topics, from pop culture to historical milestones. As aficionados of the TV show Smallville, Mary and Marc deftly navigated queries about the iconic series, seamlessly recalling pivotal plotlines and character arcs. Darren, with his passion for sports history, proved instrumental in tackling questions about the legendary 'Miracle on Ice' hockey game, showcasing his prowess beyond the confines of the classroom. Meanwhile, Hannah, with her encyclopedic knowledge of cinema, effortlessly dissected questions pertaining to the trilogy of films that included "Glass" and "Split," leaving competitors in awe of her cinematic acumen.

Amidst the whirlwind of questions, there was a bittersweet undertone to the evening. As the rain continued to cascade outside, the absence of their friend Ben was keenly felt. Ben, a fellow educator and trivia enthusiast, was unable to join them that night, leaving a void in their team dynamic. Nevertheless, his spirit lingered amongst them, serving as a silent source of inspiration as they pressed onward.

One particularly memorable question revolved around the iconic Rolex logo—a crown symbolizing luxury and prestige. With a collective nod of recognition, the team swiftly provided the correct answer, further solidifying their lead in the competition. It was moments like these that underscored the strength of their camaraderie and the depth of their shared knowledge.

This great (and mostly accurate) description doesn’t include anything about the audio clue, which turned out to be three songs with the word “Light” in the titles.  One of the songs was by Madonna, but it was not this song that I asked ChatGPT to write about light in the style of Madonna:

In a room, so dim and dark, I'm searching for a little spark.

But in the shadows, there's a gleam, A shining beacon, like a dream.

It's a flicker, a tiny glow, But it's enough to make me know,

That even in the darkest night, There's a glimmer of hope, shining bright.

Lightbulb, shining in the night, You're my beacon, my guiding light.

With your brilliance, you illuminate, Every corner, every fate.

So here's to you, oh light divine, In your glow, we'll always shine.

You're more than just a bulb, you see, You're a symbol of possibility.

The half time sheet was quite fun as it gave us ten different photos of toys from each of the decades of the 20th century and asked us to match the toy with the decade.  Or, in limerick form, it was like this:

In the early 1900s, oh so fine,

The Teddy Bear became a design.

From Roosevelt's affection,

To global connection,

The bear's popularity did shine.

Raggedy Ann dolls, with charm and grace,

In the early 1900s found their place.

With yarn hair so red,

And stories widespread,

Their timeless appeal we embrace.

Slinky slinked in during the forties,

A toy full of wiggles and glories.

Down stairs it would glide,

With a graceful slide,

Bringing joy to so many stories.

Barbie burst onto the scene,

In the fifties, she reigned supreme.

With fashion and flair,

She was beyond compare,

A sixties icon, a dream.

In the seventies, Star Wars took flight,

With Jedi and Sith in an epic fight.

With lightsabers aglow,

And the Force to bestow,

It captured imaginations, oh so bright.

Cabbage Patch Kids, oh so sweet,

In the eighties, they couldn't be beat.

With rosy cheeks aglow,

And names to bestow,

Their popularity was a feat.

X-Box stormed in during the nineties,

With gaming experiences so weighty.

From Halo to Gears,

It brought cheers and tears,

A console that gamers found mighty.

We were worried about the third round going into it although it ended up not being all that bad.  All of the correct answers are in the following lyrics to a song that our AI overloads think is in the style of Reel Big Fish, since they are Hannah’s favorite band:

(Verse 1) Well, I met Timothee Chalamet down by the bay, He said, "Let's sail on 'The Golden Lady' today." With Coco Chanel by my side, feeling so fine, We set sail, leaving all our worries behind.

(Chorus) Tiny dancer, twirlin' in the moonlight, Sailing with style, everything's just right. With Timothee, Coco, and the Golden Lady, We're living life like a reel big party!

(Verse 2) On the deck, under the stars, we dance and sway, With the sea breeze blowing all our cares away. Timothee's charisma, Coco's flair, On this boat, we're a fashion-forward pair.

(Pre-Chorus) With brushstrokes of joy, like an impressionist scene, We're painting memories, living the dream.

(Chorus) Tiny dancer, twirlin' in the moonlight, Sailing with style, everything's just right. With Timothee, Coco, and the Golden Lady, We're living life like a reel big party!

(Bridge) We'll sail the seven seas, no destination in mind, With our spirits high and the music intertwined. Tim, Coco, and me, we're a sight to see, Living out our dreams, wild and free!

(Chorus) Tiny dancer, twirlin' in the moonlight, Sailing with style, everything's just right. With Timothee, Coco, and the Golden Lady, We're living life like a reel big party!

(Outro) So raise your glasses high, let's make a toast, To adventure, to friendship, to what we love most. With Timothee, Coco, and the Golden Lady, We'll keep on dancing, feeling oh so crazy!

I haven’t yet mentioned that Adam wasn’t hosting tonight for some reason that wasn’t clear to us.  The new guy moved VERY quickly and also seemed to make the questions a lot more complicated than they were.  He did not rephrase all of the questions as knock knock jokes, but if he did then the fourth round would have sounded a little something like this:

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Clyde.

Clyde who?

Clyde Drexler dribbling down the court with finesse!

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Chuck.

Chuck who?

Chuck Woolery, ready to make a Love Connection!

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Shasta.

Shasta who?

Shasta, like the soda, but Mount Shasta's got the real fizz!

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Communism.

Communism who?

Communism... and before you know it, everyone's sharing the punchlines!

There was also a category called “Math Stuff”.  I was running a little late tonight so wasn’t there when they chose the bonus categories, and was only a little offended that Mary chose 1980’s TV instead of Math even though if I’m being honest I know way too much about both things.  In any event, the math question was “What is the operation called when you take an integer and multiply it by all of the other positive integers less than it?”  I answered “Factorial!” and was amused by the way I wrote that answer, but nobody else seemed to notice or even care. 

When all is said and done we were in third place behind both the RailSplitters and Street Sharks going into the final question.  The category was movie quotes and the question was “What 1980’s movie ends with a scene of the title character watching a movie of their own life and saying ‘I don’t need to watch this, Dot.  I lived it!’?”  Now, if you are my exact age then this is like the easiest trivia question ever.  But it turns out that if you are ten years younger or older this is not such an easy question. 

So we won!  There was also a double tie breaker where not-Adam made people guess his birthday to break the tie but I didn’t pay a lot of attention.  Let me hand it over to Chat-GPT for the conclusion.

As the night drew to a close and the final scores were tallied, it became evident that victory was within their grasp. With a triumphant cheer, Mary, Marc, Darren, and Hannah celebrated their hard-earned success, their bond forged not only by their love for trivia but also by their mutual respect and friendship.

In the annals of bar trivia lore, their victory would be remembered as a testament to the power of collaboration, the thrill of intellectual pursuit, and the enduring bonds of friendship. And as they bid farewell to the dimly lit confines of the bar, their hearts were lightened by the knowledge that, on that rainy night, they had emerged victorious as a team of teachers turned trivia champions.

PS – A tip of the hat to Melissa from the Street Sharks, who in her professional life has been running lots of sessions about the use of Generative AI in higher education, and has been an inspiration to this post.  Also: she’s about to have a baby!  Yay!