WWTBAM Bored

Bryan Kelly
Sterling Heights, MI
College Senior at University of Michigan

Bryan has written two books and is using his writing talents to woo girls on campus. Meredith asks how and he says to start with a poem. Drinking helps because after enough drinks everything rhymes. Meredith calls Bryan a romantic, and a cheap drunk.

$2K - With "Special Agents" stationed across the nation, the Geek Squad has provided what type of service since 1994?

A - auto repair
B - SAT tutoring
C - computer support
D - babysitting

Bryan had a friend, born the same day as he, who worked for Geek Squad.

$4K - Which of these animals has pinhead-sized eyes that are often closed so dirt doesn't get in them while it's digging underground?

A - otter
B - raccoon
C - beaver
D - mole

Bryan says a mole is known for having beady eyes.

$8K - What nickname is often given to a pair of sixes rolled in the game of craps?

A - stovepipes
B - boxcars
C - wagon wheels
D - horseshoes

For some reason "horseshoes" sticks out to Bryan. He decides to phone his dad, Nelson. Nelson tells him, "boxcars" before Bryan can finish reading the answers. Bryan says his dad knows.

Before showing the next question Meredith reminds Bryan to give the answer and the letter as well.

$16K - Since 1981, what state has been represented by a U.S. senator whose brash talk has earned him the nickname "Snarlin' Arlen"?

A - Georgia
B - Nebraska
C - New Mexico
D - Pennsylvania

Bryan knows the name Arlen Spector and Pennsylvania seems to be jumping out at im. He decides to ask the audience for help.

ATA results:

A - 28%
B - 7%
C - 7%
D - 58%

Meredith reminds Bryan that he told he told the audience he was leaning that way. Bryan goes with the audience and says, "Pennsylvania, final answer." The audience starts to applaud, but Meredith says, "You have to say both the answer and the letter," so Bryan says, "D - Pennsylvania, final answer."

Afterward Meredith tells Bryan the reason is because "B" and "D" can sound alike, so it's for his protection.

$25K - The American Revolution and the U.S. Civil War both began in what month?

A - April
B - June
C - August
D - December

Bryan says that unless he's mistaken, South Carolina seceded on Christmas Day or the day after or eve. That might be considered an act of war. He knows nothing about the revolution. He's concerned that he is overthinking the question. He goes with D as his final answer and drops back to $1K.

Commercial break

ANSWERS:
$2K - C (computer support)
$4K - D (mole)
$8K - B (boxcars)
$16K - D (Pennsylvania)
$25K - A (April)

BBTranscriptTeam wrote:Bryan Kelly
Sterling Heights, MI
College Senior at University of Michigan

$25K - The American Revolution and the U.S. Civil War both began in what month?

A - April
B - June
C - August
D - December

Bryan says that unless he's mistaken, South Carolina seceded on Christmas Day or the day after or eve. That might be considered an act of war. He knows nothing about the revolution. He's concerned that he is overthinking the question. He goes with D as his final answer and drops back to $1K.

I wonder if July had been an option if that would have confused him even more since it seems a lot of people, if they have any clue at all (and Brian confesses he did not, a sad commentary in and of itself, so perhaps it would have made no difference), think that the American Revolution started in July 1776.

A little poetry might have helped...

Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.

Another bit of literary assistance could have helped had he known of the childrens novel about the Civil War, "Across Five Aprils", which was one of my first introductions of many books to follow about that period of history.

You've got to be kidding-a college senior goes out on a simple history question??? I guess he didn't pay attention in history class.

Yet another reason to be embarrassed to be a U of M fan.

BBTranscriptTeam wrote: Bryan Kelly
Sterling Heights, MI
College Senior at University of Michigan

Bryan has written two books and is using his writing talents to woo girls on campus. Meredith asks how and he says to start with a poem. Drinking helps because after enough drinks everything rhymes. Meredith calls Bryan a romantic, and a cheap drunk.

Poetry can be quite effective - at least it worked on elwing. I wrote her an acrostic poem using her name, and another one in the style of the psalms.

BBTranscriptTeam wrote:$8K - What nickname is often given to a pair of sixes rolled in the game of craps?

A - stovepipes
B - boxcars
C - wagon wheels
D - horseshoes

For some reason "horseshoes" sticks out to Bryan. He decides to phone his dad, Nelson. Nelson tells him, "boxcars" before Bryan can finish reading the answers. Bryan says his dad knows.

How could he not know this? The term has gone far beyond the craps table; I hear it whenever we play Monopoly or other dice games.

BBTranscriptTeam wrote:Before showing the next question Meredith reminds Bryan to give the answer and the letter as well.

Is there some reason why Mere emphasized this? Has there been a problem that didn't make it to the TV screen?

BBTranscriptTeam wrote:$16K - Since 1981, what state has been represented by a U.S. senator whose brash talk has earned him the nickname "Snarlin' Arlen"?

A - Georgia
B - Nebraska
C - New Mexico
D - Pennsylvania

The audience starts to applaud, but Meredith says, "You have to say both the answer and the letter," so Bryan says, "D - Pennsylvania, final answer."

Afterward Meredith tells Bryan the reason is because "B" and "D" can sound alike, so it's for his protection.

OK, Mere, but it would be very hard to confuse "Nebraska" and "Pennsylvania".

BBTranscriptTeam wrote:$25K - The American Revolution and the U.S. Civil War both began in what month?

A - April
B - June
C - August
D - December

Bryan says that unless he's mistaken, South Carolina seceded on Christmas Day or the day after or eve. That might be considered an act of war. He knows nothing about the revolution. He's concerned that he is overthinking the question. He goes with D as his final answer and drops back to $1K.

Too bad Bryan didn't remember the famous poem "Paul Revere's Ride":

Listen, my children, and you shall hear
of the midnight ride of Paul Revere.
On the eighteenth of April in 'Seventy-five..."

He answered the $4k and the $8K with just the letter....not the answer that goes with the letter.

There was "chatter" about what his answer was going to be, but he just said "d" final answer for $4K and "b" final answer for $8K.

I guess after it happened twice, they told Meredith not to accept his answer until he said both. She said the letters D & B sound alike & it's just to protect him.

I never said a letter. I just said the answer.

It was one of my 'rules'.

R W Emerson:

BY the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard round the world.

The questions are easy of you know 'em.

You may quote me...

$8K: I don't know what is the bigger surprise--this question being worth $8,000 or Bryan not knowing the answer.

$25K: Don't know. Bring out the PAF.

BBTranscriptTeam wrote: $25K - The American Revolution and the U.S. Civil War both began in what month?

A - April
B - June
C - August
D - December

Bryan says that unless he's mistaken, South Carolina seceded on Christmas Day or the day after or eve. That might be considered an act of war. He knows nothing about the revolution. He's concerned that he is overthinking the question. He goes with D as his final answer and drops back to $1K.

Oh, the irony of talking about overthinking the question when he was underthinking it! Bryan should have asked for clarification of what they considered the start of the war, in these two examples where that start was not clearly delineated by a formal declaration of war. The question writers wanted the start of armed conflict, but one could certainly consider other incidents to be that start of these two wars.

It might have helped if he remembered that Lincoln wasn't sworn in until March 1861.

Bryan may only have won $1,000, but he got a nice, long article in his local paper.

http://www.candgnews.com/Homepage-Artic ... ONAIRE.asp

On the syndicated version, hosted by Meredith Vieira, contestants no longer have to triumph on a “fastest finger question” as prime-time players did to land a slot on the show.

Instead, prospective participants take a general knowledge test and interview with producers beforehand, as Kelly did in May while working for The Onion, a national satirical newspaper, in New York.

Wow, The Onion!

Though the two episodes are staged to appear as if they occurred on different days, Kelly said they were filmed just hours apart.

“I went and had a tuna sandwich and then pretended it was the next day, and changed and put a tie on,” he recalled. “They keep you in isolation between the two episodes.”

More like 15 to 20 minutes apart.

With his $1,000, Kelly said he’s taking a cruise to the Bahamas with “The Golden Boys,” a group of friends from U-M.

That would have to be a very economical cruise, if he's taking friends with him!