| Willipedia is now back online as of 5/5/2019 |
| It has been several years since Willipedia closed. Please help get it updated! |
| Go to the Willipedia 2.0 Project to learn more. |
Changes
Advice on creating a Williams Trivia contest
....well, then people will STILL complain about the music. But Baby
Jesus in Heaven will know you did a good job.
===Matching Questions And Songs===
Steve Homer, 2004
All of the examples in this section are from the January 2003 and January 2004 contests, ones in which I was a party to the music matching process. Please keep in mind that nothing in this section should be taken as gospel; however, these hints have been proven to work well, and are the minimum doses recommended by the FDA as part of a nutritional contest.
Once in a while, when trying to match songs to questions, nothing beats inspiration from above:
Question: According to a recent study, how do herring communicate
with each other underwater?
Answer: Flatulence. Scientists call the fishies' system "FRTS"-- Fast
Repetitive Tick Sounds.)
Song: "Tiny Bubbles" by Don Ho
But, of course, it's rarely that easy. Song matching for Trivia is definitely an art. But it's also a science. One way to win the hearts and minds of Trivia players is to think of songs that use plays on words involving either the answer or (for less of a hint), the question:
Question: As many websites will tell you, we're down to 155 days. For what?
Answer: For the Olsen Twins to become legal.
Song: "Let Me In" by the Sensations
Question: Uncombined alkali, carbonates and various mineral matter make up 0.56% of what product?
Answer: Ivory Soap.
Song: "No Scrubs" by TLC
Question: What was the biggest-selling album to be allowed to go out of print?
Answer: Milli Vanilli's debut.
Song: "Funkytown" by Lipps Inc.
Question: Doctors expressed concern in 1899 that a certain frenetic activity would "destroy the feminine organs of matrimonial necessity." What?
Answer: Bicycling.
Song: "Pop That Coochie" by 2 Live Crew
There's nothing wrong with the typical, yet good, "clue derived from the song/artist" match:
Question: The town nearest the center of Utah is Levan. How did Levan, Utah get its name?
Answer: "Navel" spelled backwards.
Song: "The Hardest Button to Button" by the White Stripes
Question: If you wanted to visit the pyramids of Malpighi, where would you go?
Answer: Your kidneys.
Song: "Stones" by Neil Diamond
One of the most hotly debated points about the Trivia song regards when to use easier songs. My opinion is that they should be used when:
1. The answer is a long, drawn out affair, perhaps with multiple parts, and there just wouldn't be time for a team to reasonably be expected to pay attention to the song as well;
2. The song match is too cute to pass up...
Question: What TV series featured a series of six female impersonators during its 17-year run?
Answer: "Lassie."
Song: "The Bitch is Back" by Elton John
3. The song has something that matches the question SO strongly, there's no substitute that would work as well:
Question: Hall of Fame NFL coach George Allen is known for developing the "nickel defense," as well as creating offseason training camps. However, another popular football tradition didn't work out as well for him. What happened in Allen's final game, when he was coaching Long Beach State?
Answer: His players dumped a keg of Gatorade over his head. He contracted pneumonia, and died weeks later.
Song: "Pour Some Sugar on Me" by Def Leppard
Of course, Parts 2 and 3 also work for obscure songs..
Question: There is a copy of the Koran at the "Mother of all Battles" mosque in Baghdad. What is unique about this particular holy book?
Answer: It is written in Saddam Hussein's blood.
Song: "My Heart is an Open Book" by Carl Dobkins Jr.
There's also much confusion as to how, specifically, one should match a song. Generally, a hint contained in the title is pretty safe. I would STRONGLY advise against using a song because a lyric in the song that is NOT the title contains a clue, UNLESS the lyric is repeated frequently enough that someone listening would associate the oft-repeated line with the hint that you are trying to convey . For example, if I had a question for which the answer was "a cobra", I would NOT use, say, "The End" by The Doors on the basis of the lyric "ride the snake", even though it is repeated once. ("Crawling King
Snake", al so by The Doors, would be fine if you really wanted to use The Doors). By the same token, it is also inadvisable to make a "double jump" in logic - I would certainly NOT use yet another Doors song for the same snake question on the basis that "Jim Morrison was into snakes, so "L.A. Woman" is a good clue".
It's okay for your clue to not be blindingly obvious, especially for one-word answers. In most instances, it's no fun to be handed the answer. Often a song that has a clue that requires a bit of thinking is your best bet:
Question: While Americans are notorious for not being able to carry a tune, Dave Barry noticed that we all seem to be able to do at least one thing on key. What is it?
Answer: Chant "Airball" (in the key of F).
Song: "Brick" by the Ben Folds 5
And, if you can combine that puzzler with bad taste, go for it:
Question: According to Wayne Campbell, what should you do if you see a woman who is so pretty that it makes you want to hurl, and why?
Answer: "Hurl. If you spew, and she comes back, she's yours. But if you blow chunks and she bolts, it was never meant to be, man."
Song: "Let It Loose" by the Rolling Stones
Question: Between prank calls on Comedy Central's "Crank Yankers," the camera pans through the town of Yankerville, revealing weird signs and activities. One billboard advertises the All-Virgin Brothel. What is this fine establishment's slogan?
Answer: "You Buy It, You Break It."
Song: "Just a Gigolo" by Dick Hyman
And a clue embedded in the song or artist name that requires actual Trivia knowledge to get the needed hint is ALWAYS a good idea...
Question: In 2002, the Swingline stapler company debuted the "Rio Red" model. What prompted this release?
Answer: Demand from fans of the movie "Office Space". (In recent years, Swingline had not offered a red stapler model.)
Song: "Grits Ain't Groceries" by Little Milton
Variety is the spice of Trivial life. Try to use as many styles, genres, and generations of musical breadth as you can. One easy, and good, way to do this is to let all the team members have a shot at the music matches. Twenty people looking at something will give you a much better shot at the interesting match that even two music mavens would have overlooked, as happened with this question from 2003:
Question: Who is the proofreader in "Dilbert"?
Answer: Anne L. Retentive.
Song: "Tighten Up" by Archie Bell & the Drells
Another good goal to shoot for is the "double match", in which the song and/or artist contain TWO useful clues to the Trivia answer. These are tough to write, but rewarding when successful:
Question: What was atypical about the opening credits for last year's "Daredevil"?
Answer: They were in both English and Braille.
Song: "Fingertips" by Stevie Wonder
Question: What is the unique literary accomplishment of the Star Trek novelization "The Brave and the Bold"?
Answer: It includes characters from all 5 "Star Trek" TV series.
Song: "Stay Together" by N.E.R.D.
And, once in a great while, a triple match may come along:
Question: The Razzies have long been the anti-Oscars of the film industry, dishonoring the worst movies and stars of the year. Who are the only two Razzie winners to actually show up at the ceremony to collect their awards in person?
Answer: Paul Verhoeven, Worst Director of 1995 for "Showgirls"; Tom Green, who won 4 Razzies in 2001 for "Freddy Got Fingered."
Song: "Come and Get It" by Badfinger
One good Trivia song category is that of songs that people know, but can't quite place. Songs that have been used recently that fit this criteria include "Are You Ready For This" by 2 Unlimited, which fits the bill because it's only played at EVERY arena event in the country; and this one, which was frequently played on a GAP commercial...
Question: Other than their being fictional, what is the common link between the following characters: Lisa Simpson, Ellie Arroway from "Contact", Frasier Crane's son Frederick, and The Blue Power Ranger?
Answer: They are all members of MENSA.
Song: "Start the Commotion" by the Wiseguys
One final point: It doesn't matter HOW clever your song match turns out, if you can't GET the darn song! One way to avoid this is to back into the match, by thinking of a keyword from the question, and typing that word into the search engine of the (legal, of course) music resource that you are using. That way, you actually have a shot of finding that great, horrible, or otherwise suitable song that will help to make your contest one that people remember fondly.
Matchfully yours,
Steve Homer
=== Opinions Vary ===
Rachel, May 18, 2005:
