Jan 21 2009
Choose Your Category
I am not the typical viewer of Jeopardy. My sister and mother spent quite a bit of time watching it when I was growing up, mainly because they could answer nearly all of the questions. One fabulous day in tenth grade, however, Jeopardy was the perfect show for me. It was a very long time ago, a very long time, but the half-hour episode was so perfect that I will likely never forget it until I succumb to dementia.
I sure hope that’s a long time from now.
Anyway, the key to my success on the show would have to be what categories were chosen. Give me some GEOGRAPHY, and I’ll never put my hand on the buzzer. In fact, I only recall about ten of the state capitals off hand. I have to look up the rest (and, yes, I know that’s pathetic). Give me modern American History, Politics, Physics, etc., and I’ll have a score of 0 at the end of the show. Alex Trebek might actually call me out for never punching the button, but if I did, I’d only have a negative amount (Really. I’m not joking. I’m really that bad at it).
But that doesn’t mean I’m hopeless. On that glorious day in tenth grade, Jeopardy was built for me. The first round gave me categories of Fairy Tales, The Bible, and The Novel, and George Bernard Shaw. The Double Jeopardy round gave me Greek Mythology, Shakespeare, and British Writers (No joke! Really!). And the final Jeopardy question was on Hamlet–Hamlet!: “This word finishes a quote by Hamlet: ‘Alas, poor Yorick, I knew him __________.” No doubt they were expecting people to flub and say “well” instead of “Horatio,” but I’d read Hamlet several times by then. I answered the question, and because the category had been Shakespeare, I’d bet everything. I think I earned $38,000 in a single day! (That is, I would have earned it if I’d actually been on the show.)
Naturally, acing a Jeopardy episode hasn’t happened since, but I hold onto the moment for two reasons. One is to keep myself humble. Any time I start to get too fancy, start to think I’m too brilliant for this world, a good half-hour dose of Jeopardy sets me straight. Yet my experience also reminds me that, even if I don’t exude brilliance in everything, I still have strength in the areas I love. And those areas still give me joy (even if I didn’t actually go on the show and make the $38,000).
I took the nerd test my sister sent, and you’ll see where I ended up. Most of the readings are low to average… but literature is right up there. And that’s enough for me.
So, if you went on Jeopardy, what categories would you want to see? They may say a great deal about you.
No, I kind of liked the title… and I pat myself on the back that I spelled Jeopardy correctly about a dozen times! When does that happen?
Glad you keep checking me out, even if you’re the only one right about now.
Your post today made me chuckle. Since I find myself reading your posts frequently, I’m adding you to my blog roll.
aw2500
www.permissionsplease.today.com
Thanks, aw2500! I’ve read yours, too… if I ever write an English or writing textbook, I’ll be sure to keep your advice in mind. I would be completely out of my element trying to get permission to use materials.
jeopardy rocks! but i don’t know what catagories i’d wanna see…my head’s full of trivia
history, for sure…myths, wordplays…music…anything like that would be good, as long as it wasn’t too technical…i can handle analytical, but not technical
uber cool nerd queen is an awesome title! rock on!
Shakespeare, you wouldn’t be out of your element at all. The biggest challenge is being oganized. sigh. On my site I’m trying to explain the basic steps to getting permissions; it sounds like I’m still not making it simple enough.
aw2500
www.permissionsplease.com
My head is absolutely NOT full of trivia, ambrosiavenus. Sometimes I wonder if it isn’t a sieve, letting everything drip out, especially the location of my keys, purse, shoes, kids, coat, gloves… and the list goes on.
And aw2500, your subject is a hard one. But someday I’m going to be a famous writer, and I’ll write textbooks on writing, and I’ll be driving you crazy with questions every single day.
I promise, when that times comes, I’ll make you a consultant and take you out to lunch.
ooo…You don’t know what you’re committing yourself to when you offer to take me out for lunch.
aw2500
I absolutely do, aw2500. It means I’m buying MYSELF lunch, too… yum!!!
If I get a book deal this year, I tell you what, I’m going to take ALL of you out to lunch!
I love quizzes. I will definitely take some right now even though I should be asleep.
And Jeopardy rules. That is the greatest show of all time. I used to watch it with my dad and we’d see who could get the most right. Tried doing that w/my husband, but that tradition faded fast