I can’t believe that I took Philosophy as a college major and I can’t believe the entire first round was centred around the theme of philosophy. Also coincidental the three contestants today were all involved professionally with the written word, Laura is an English Lit Prof, Paul a writer of copy, and Anne (returning from yesterday) a bookstore manager and screenwriter.
Philosophers, St. Augustine, Immanuel Can’t, Neat She, Spin-oza, Confuse Us were the irresistibly named categories to start off the game. The first daily double was behind Philosophers $600 and was Plato and Xenophon left accounts of this philosopher who wrote nothing himself*. If you are still uncertain the same philosopher was executed by a democratic state that thought him to great a threat to their youth–a rarely heeded lesson of paranoia and security in Western history. Later under $1,000 for Immanuel Kant the clue, Immanuel can’t stand girls, & yes, it’s safe to call him one of these, from the Greek for “woman hater”* reminded me of the original Swedish title of the Stieg Larsson bestseller The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo–Men Who Hate Women. I find it odd that the provocative title was translated in English to include the word “girl” for the character beset by sexist and hateful males. I saw the film a few weeks ago and it was a mixed bag for me–Silence of the Lambs meets All the President’s men.
Paul was doing well leading with $3,400 to Laura’s $2,600 and Anne’s $1,200 into the first commercial break. During the anecdotes portion Paul told a story involving public nudity and assault with turkey bacon that tested the usual pedestrian fare of the time. Alex asked keenly if Paul held his audiences’ attention after his spectacle–look soon for Alex to strip to his skivvies with a pound of back bacon at the ready. After his story I can’t remember anything of the other competitors. I think it was Otto Von Bismark who said “Laws are like sausages [and bacon], it is better not to see them being made”
At the end of Jeopardy round one Anne was tied with Paul at $5,800 and Laura had $3,600. Double Jeopardy had the categories of Science Class, Movie By Cast, Historic Americans, Orange Slices, Are You Well Red?, and Too Much “Sun”–I loved it except for orange slices. Won by Anne was Historic American’s clue, In 1976 the U.S. posthumously restored the citizenship of this labor organizer & socialist leader who lost it in 1918*. Lost by Anne was the daily double clue under Are You Well “Red”, The title figure of this Steinbeck work is a colt that Jody receives as a gift & names Gabilan*. I love the story and read it as a teenager–I was a little surprised she missed it.
Anne finished the second round with $14,000 with Paul and Laura trailing with $11,000 and $5,600 respectively and looked strong headed into final Jeopardy. The final Jeopardy clue was in the category Modern Materials, Introduced in the ’70s to replace steel belting on high-speed tires, it’s called stronger than steel & lighter than nylon. I guessed carbon composite (so stupid!) and only after Alex’s preamble did I immediately realize the answer*. Apparently the question was not obvious to others since Anne crashed and burned and Laura failed to get a sniff. Paul however knew his radial tires and won with a payout of $11,300–and that is a lot of bacon!
*Socrates, Misogyny, Eugene Debs, The Red Pony, Kevlar