The world of pub quizzes was shaken in Britain recently when a team at The Barking Dog pub in Manchester was kicked out for cheating. Although disputes may occasionally occur in such quizzes it doesn’t usually come down to such strong disciplinary action. However the team involved was believed to be clearly in breach of trivia etiquette.
Participants at the weekly quiz began to notice that one team seemed to triumph nearly every week. Initially it was thought that this team just happened to be more intelligent than the others. However suspicions were aroused when the group still came up with the correct answers to really difficult questions.
So one week the landlord kept a close eye on this team and discovered that they were discreetly whispering the questions into their smart watches which were giving immediate answers. Actually I am surprised that doesn’t happen more often, or perhaps it does. The team has now been banned from participating although their identity has not been revealed.
No doubt many Bangkok Post readers have taken part in pub quizzes in Thailand. Such nefarious goings on couldn’t possibly happen here could they?
Pub quizzes have been a part of the English culture since the 1970s. Some take them far too seriously but the majority participate just for fun and an excuse to spend an evening in a pub. This is reflected in the team names which are invariably laden with painful puns.
Among a few that caught the eye are Quizzard of Oz, No Eye Dear, Smarty Pints and I’m Just Here For The Chips. However the team that I could relate to most was And In Last Place…
Question time
I have rarely indulged in pub quizzes, but some years ago was dragged into in a Bangkok Post quiz team. We actually did quite well though it was no thanks to me. Fortunately there were some smart teammates who saved the day.
I found it great fun when the whole team could consult one another but this particular quiz also featured a section requiring participants answering individually. This was more stressful than I had imagined, especially when I couldn’t answer a simple question while everyone else in the pub clearly knew the answer. It felt like being in the hot seat of Mastermind the celebrated BBC TV quiz show.
Cultured cabbie
Originally hosted by Magnus Magnusson, the long-running Mastermind has always had an intimidating atmosphere that puts contestants under the spotlight. The questions can be quite difficult and the imposing music “Approaching Menace” is enough to unsettle the calmest of souls. The most recent programmes have been hosted by BBC news presenter Clive Myrie.
One of the most celebrated moments occurred in 1980 when the winner was London cabbie Fred Housego, who had minimal academic qualifications. His specialist subject was the Tower of London and his win was regarded as a triumph for the working man. It was no fluke either as he had earlier breezed through two rounds on Henry II and Westminster.
The taxi driver certainly enjoyed his Mastermind experience more than a teacher who performed so badly on the show that he suffered absolute hell from his mocking pupils for several years.
Moving Everest
Another high profile TV quiz show was The Weakest Link hosted by Anne Robinson at her menacing best. This was more sensitive than Mastermind in that the up to nine contestants at the end of each round would vote out one of the group, that person being regarded as the “weakest”.
So it all got a bit personal. The questions were easier than Mastermind but the pressure prompted some entertaining answers as witnessed in the following exchanges:
Robinson: Which Italian city is overlooked by Vesuvius?
Contestant: Bombay?
Robinson: Vietnam has borders with Laos, Cambodia and which other country?
Contestant: The US?
Robinson: In which country is Mt Everest?
Contestant: Er, it’s not Scotland is it? (er, no it isn’t)
Robinson: What is the correct name for the wild Australian dog?
Contestant: The dingbat?
The wicked link
Some readers may recall that back in 2002 Thailand had its own version of Weakest Link or as one taxi driver called it “wicked ling”. It was called Kamjad Orn and despite high ratings was dropped after a year with the authorities calling it “inappropriate”.
Certainly the programme in which some contestants were made to look quite foolish did not sit well in a culture which tends to avoid confrontation, criticism and extols politeness. One teacher was reduced to tears when she couldn’t answer a simple question. A cabinet minister duly announced that the show was “unbecoming to Thai culture and morality”.
It wasn’t officially banned but quietly dropped by nervous TV execs. After that it was back to traditional flaky quiz shows with pop singers, would-be actresses and unfunny comedians.
Ask a stupid question
Anyone familiar with old British TV quiz shows will not be surprised at some of the daft answers. Here are a few I have collected over the years.
Presenter: Which former British colony was handed back to China in 1997?
Contestant: London?
Presenter: Name the man who was president of Italy until May 2006.
Contestant: Don Corleone?
Presenter: What was the purpose of Hadrian’s Wall?
Contestant: To keep out the Zulus?
Presenter: Where is the Sea of Tranquillity:
Contestant: Ibiza.