WWTBAM Bored

Michael Fan
Charlotte, NC
Comic book store operator

Michael's store is very much a family affair because the whole family works there. With the money he'd like to take the whole family on a vacation.

Topic Tree: (unrandomized)
10 - Changed Man
9 - Potter Fodder
8 - Historical Words
7 - Read the Labels
6 - Hated Handle
5 - Secret Ingredients
4 - Geographical Joking
3 - Peace, Man
2 - Dark Beginnings
1 - Email Etiquette

Topic Tree: (randomized)
6 - Hated Handle
10 - Changed Man
7 - Read the Labels
4 - Geographical Joking
5 - Secret Ingredients
8 - Historical Words
3 - Peace, Man
1 - Email Etiquette
9 - Potter Fodder
2 - Dark Beginnings

Question #1 (Dark Beginnings - Level 2)
Before opening her museum in London, what artist made death masks of executed aristocrats during the French Revolution?
A - Marie Tussaud
B - Mary Wollstonecraft
C - Mary Cassat
D - Marie Antoinette

Spoiler

Answer: A (Marie Tussaud)
Value: $1,000
Bank: $1,000

Question #2 (Potter Fodder - Level 9)
Decades before Harry Potter, which of the following was a slang term used to refer to marijuana?
A - Malfoy
B - Hogwarts
C - Muggles
D - Slughorn

Michael admits that he knows next to nothing about Harry Potter and pretty much nothing about marijuana as well, so he's going to jump the question.

Spoiler

Answer: C (Muggles)
Value: $100
Bank: $1,000 (no change)

Meredith says that the "Millionaire fairy" is watching over Michael.

Question #3 (Email Etiquette - Level 1)
A workplace faux pas if done accidentally, what email function sends an "email blast" to a large group?
A - all caps
B - reply all
C - BCC
D - spell check

"I definitely hate it when people do this," Michael says.

Spoiler

Answer: C (reply all)
Value: $7,000
Bank: $8,000

Question #4 (Peace, Man - Level 3)
The peace symbol depicts semaphore signals for the letters "N" and "D," standing for what phrase
A - national debate
B - non-discrimination
C - new democracy
D - nuclear disarmament

Michael says he sees more than one answer that makes sense,

Spoiler

non-discrimination and nuclear disarmament.

He is leaning toward one of them but not heavily enough to go for it so he's going to jump the question. Meredith asks him which one he was leaning toward, and Michael says

Spoiler

B or D.

Meredith presses him to choose and Michael says, "I'm probably going to regret this but it's probably

Spoiler

D

.

Spoiler

Answer: D (nuclear disarmament)
Value: $3,000
Bank: $8,000 (no change)

commercial break

Question #5 (Historical Words - Level 8)
According to Merriam-Webster, "incumbent," "cicada" and "hurricane" were amongst the top ten most looked up words of what year?
A - 2002
B - 2004
C - 2006
D - 2008

Spoiler

"Incumbent indicates that it should be an election year," Michael muses. "Cicada and hurricane...I actually remember when the cicadas last came to the east coast. And he remembers being at a picnic with his children and wife and seeing dead or nearly-dead cicadas on the ground." Meredith asks, "Do you remember the year?" and Michael laughs and replies, "That's the next part. Two would have been too young because they were in preschool already and six would be too late and it's not an election year. So I'm going to go with B, 2004, final answer."

Spoiler

Answer: B (2004)
Value: $25,000
Bank: $33,000

Michael runs over and hugs his two children; his wife is with them in the relationship seats. The daughter's name is Tallan and the son's name is Kieran.

Question #6 (Secret Ingredients - Level 5)
After being called out on Twitter, what restaurant chain admitted it cooks its pinto beans with a small amount of bacon?
A - Quiznos
B - Panda Express
C - Chipotle [Meredith pronounces it "Chipolte"]
D - Sonic

Michael isn't sure exactly what the problem is with cooking beans with bacon. He likes bacon and it probably makes the beans taste good.

Spoiler

Answer: C (Chipotle)
Value: $15,000
Bank: $48,000

commercial break

Meredith says the kids seem to get along very well. Michael says most of the time that's true, but they do sometimes argue over which superhero they will be when they're playing. Meredith asks the kids, "Who's the superhero here today," and Tallin replies, "I don't know really." Meredith laughs and says, "How about your dad?" and the two children point at him.

Question #7 (Geographical Joking - Level 4)
What did humorist Dave Barry once call "a medium-sized rural island that is slowly but steadly being consumed by sheep"?
A - Madagascar
B - Japan
C - Ireland
D - Cuba

Spoiler

"Ireland has the sheep,"

Michael says. He doesn't know it but he's going to go for it. Dave Barry wouldn't make an obscure reference.

Spoiler

Answer: C (Ireland)
Value: $2,000
Bank: $50,000

Question #8 (Read the Labels - Level 7)
On a standard clothing care label, a circle with an X through it is a warning that means what?
A - do not bleach
B - do not dry clean
C - do not iron
D - do not wash

Michael has an idea but he thinks this would be a good one to ask the audience, so he uses that lifeline. "They probably collectively do more laundry than I do."

ATA results

A - 35%
B - 11%
C - 11%
D - 43%

His idea was "do not wash" but he was only about 43% sure of that. Nothing has changed. "I had a great time, I'm grateful for all that I won, and I'm going to walk."

Spoiler

Answer: B (do not dry clean)
Value: unrevealed
Bank: $25,000 (half the bank)

THE END OF GAME "NOISE"

Question #2 (Potter Fodder - Level 9)
Decades before Harry Potter, which of the following was a slang term used to refer to marijuana?
A - Malfoy
B - Hogwarts
C - Muggles
D - Slughorn

Michael admits that he knows next to nothing about Harry Potter and pretty much nothing about marijuana as well, so he's going to jump the question.

Spoiler

Answer: C (Muggles)
Value: $100
Bank: $1,000 (no change)

I never heard of this, and I bet Rowling didn't either. . . . OK, I looked it up and found this site: http://www.takeourword.com/TOW136/page2.html Rowling said she altered "mug" as in "someone easily fooled" to muggles because it sounded gentler. The same site credits FBI Agnet Harry Anslinger for dumping muggles in favor of marijuana because of its racist connotations, along with a stack of other horrific lies he perpetrated to keep his job fighting illegal drugs when Prohibition ended.

Question #4 (Peace, Man - Level 3)
The peace symbol depicts semaphore signals for the letters "N" and "D," standing for what phrase
A - national debate
B - non-discrimination
C - new democracy
D - nuclear disarmament

Michael says he sees more than one answer that makes sense,

Spoiler

non-discrimination and nuclear disarmament.

He is leaning toward one of them but not heavily enough to go for it so he's going to jump the question. Meredith asks him which one he was leaning toward, and Michael says

Spoiler

B or D.

Meredith presses him to choose and Michael says, "I'm probably going to regret this but it's probably

Spoiler

D

.

Spoiler

Answer: D (nuclear disarmament)
Value: $3,000
Bank: $8,000 (no change)

commercial break

We were told it was ND[Nbackwards] -- Nuclear Disarmament Now.

Question #8 (Read the Labels - Level 7)
On a standard clothing care label, a circle with an X through it is a warning that means what?
A - do not bleach
B - do not dry clean
C - do not iron
D - do not wash

Michael has an idea but he thinks this would be a good one to ask the audience, so he uses that lifeline. "They probably collectively do more laundry than I do."

ATA results

A - 35%
B - 11%
C - 11%
D - 43%

His idea was "do not wash" but he was only about 43% sure of that. Nothing has changed. "I had a great time, I'm grateful for all that I won, and I'm going to walk."

Spoiler

Answer: B (do not dry clean)
Value: unrevealed
Bank: $25,000 (half the bank)

Ouch! I always read care labels before I buy something (except jeans and Ts, of course...) and never noticed this.

BBTranscriptTeam wrote:Question #4 (Peace, Man - Level 3)
The peace symbol depicts semaphore signals for the letters "N" and "D," standing for what phrase
A - national debate
B - non-discrimination
C - new democracy
D - nuclear disarmament

Michael says he sees more than one answer that makes sense,

Spoiler

non-discrimination and nuclear disarmament.

He is leaning toward one of them but not heavily enough to go for it so he's going to jump the question. Meredith asks him which one he was leaning toward, and Michael says

Spoiler

B or D.

Meredith presses him to choose and Michael says, "I'm probably going to regret this but it's probably

Spoiler

D

.

Spoiler

Answer: D (nuclear disarmament)
Value: $3,000
Bank: $8,000 (no change)

I read this years ago. Wikipedia confirms the semaphore signals look the way I remember them:

BBTranscriptTeam wrote:Michael runs over and hugs his two children; his wife is with them in the relationship seats. The daughter's name is Tallan and the son's name is Kieran.

So, does this establish a precedent that the "over-18" rule no longer excludes contestants' children?

BBTranscriptTeam wrote: Meredith says the kids seem to get along very well. Michael says most of the time that's true, but they do sometimes argue over which superhero they will be when they're playing. Meredith asks the kids, "Who's the superhero here today," and Tallin replies, "I don't know really." Meredith laughs and says, "How about your dad?" and the two children point at him.

Way to miss your cue, Tallin!

BBTranscriptTeam wrote:Michael Fan
Charlotte, NC
Comic book store operator

Michael's store is very much a family affair because the whole family works there. With the money he'd like to take the whole family on a vacation.

But who would mind the store?

BBTranscriptTeam wrote:Question #5 (Historical Words - Level
According to Merriam-Webster, "incumbent," "cicada" and "hurricane" were amongst the top ten most looked up words of what year?
A - 2002
B - 2004
C - 2006
D - 2008

Spoiler

"Incumbent indicates that it should be an election year," Michael muses. "Cicada and hurricane...I actually remember when the cicadas last came to the east coast. And he remembers being at a picnic with his children and wife and seeing dead or nearly-dead cicadas on the ground." Meredith asks, "Do you remember the year?" and Michael laughs and replies, "That's the next part. Two would have been too young because they were in preschool already and six would be too late and it's not an election year. So I'm going to go with B, 2004, final answer."

Spoiler

Answer: B (2004)
Value: $25,000
Bank: $33,000

When he started out by thinking it was an election year, I figured he'd go with either 2004 or 2008. His further reasoning led him to the right answer, but I wonder if the "election year" reasoning bothered him any? As for me, I'd have to JTQ.

BBTranscriptTeam wrote:Question #6 (Secret Ingredients - Level 5)
After being called out on Twitter, what restaurant chain admitted it cooks its pinto beans with a small amount of bacon?
A - Quiznos
B - Panda Express
C - Chipotle [Meredith pronounces it "Chipolte"]
D - Sonic

Michael isn't sure exactly what the problem is with cooking beans with bacon. He likes bacon and it probably makes the beans taste good.

Spoiler

Answer: C (Chipotle)
Value: $15,000
Bank: $48,000

I'm guessing the issue was advertising something as being vegan-friendly when it really wasn't. As for the answers, the only one of the four that serves pintos is Chipotle.

BBTranscriptTeam wrote:Question #8 (Read the Labels - Level 7)
On a standard clothing care label, a circle with an X through it is a warning that means what?
A - do not bleach
B - do not dry clean
C - do not iron
D - do not wash

Michael has an idea but he thinks this would be a good one to ask the audience, so he uses that lifeline. "They probably collectively do more laundry than I do."

ATA results

A - 35%
B - 11%
C - 11%
D - 43%

His idea was "do not wash" but he was only about 43% sure of that. Nothing has changed. "I had a great time, I'm grateful for all that I won, and I'm going to walk."

Spoiler

Answer: B (do not dry clean)
Value: unrevealed
Bank: $25,000 (half the bank)

No idea, and I'd ATA also. But since I still have a JTQ, I use it here because the audience didn't help. FWIW elwing didn't know this one, either.


THE END OF GAME "NOISE"[/quote]

Better late than never, here's an article about Michael's appearance.

http://www.huntersvilleherald.com/news/ ... ndex-city/

Fan’s “Millionaire” journey began with luck. On a July evening, he was watching the show with his wife, Baoding, and two children, Talyn and Kiron, when they saw an announcement advertising auditions for the show in Charlotte the following day. Fan decided to give it a shot.

When he arrived at the Metrolina Expo Center, Fan and a couple hundred other hopefuls were given a 30-question, 10-minute multiple-choice test that quizzed their knowledge on a wide variety of random topics. Fan scored high enough on the test to advance him to the interview round of auditions.

During the interview process, the show’s contestant scouts must have seen something special in Fan because he was the only Charlotte hopeful to be picked for a second interview – this time on-camera.

“I think they liked the fact that I own a comic store,” Fan said. “I bet they probably thought that it was a fun, unique occupation. I’m sure they interview a lot of lawyers, consultants and such.”

Here's a slightly longer version of that article at a different site, and with some neat pictures to boot:

http://www.mountainislandweekly.com/new ... ndex-city/

"Spandex City" is a good name for a comics shop.