it was considered
ungentlemanly to check
facts, accuracy
I used to say, “The hardest TV Trivia question is … ‘In the Brady Bunch, what was Carol Brady’s maiden name?'”
This was tough as Mrs. Brady was a widow so her and her daughters last name was NOT Mrs. Brady’s maiden name.
Then along came google.
With this in mind, I enjoyed reading, No focus, no fights, and a bad back – 16 ways technology has ruined my life by by Tim Dowling in the Guardian (2/18/2024).
Mr. Dowling’s list includes, “I live in fear of being scammed, I feel a strange obligation to monitor bad news in real time, It’s given me unfiltered access to the opinions of stupid people and It’s given stupid people unfiltered access to each other’s opinions.
I like “I’m no longer able to have arguments in pubs.”
Mr. Dowling writes, “I can remember a time when it was considered ungentlemanly to check the factual accuracy of a statement made by a drinking companion. You were just meant to counter their argument by presenting specious facts of your own. But when everyone has the GDP of every Brics country at their fingertips, there doesn’t seem to be much point in spirited debate. You end up spending the whole evening looking things up and saying, “Huh.” These days, if you want to get into a petty squabble over obscure facts in an environment where phone use is banned, you have to go to prison. Or do the pub quiz. Either way, it’s no life.”
I remember listening to a call in sports show from New Zealand once and they asked a trivia question and got a caller on the line who was a bit shocked that he got through and spent some time chatting up the two hosts of the show.
Then one of the hosts caught on and says, “Hey, you’re playing for time while you’re doing the Google!”
And Yes, that is when I started referring to using Google with the definite article, The or as the host said, “Doing THE Google.”
(Admit it, it sounds better with a bit of the kiwi/down under upper lift interrogative accent when saying “Doing THE Goggle”).
Back in the day my toughest baseball trivia question was, “What player started a game as a member of one team, was traded in the middle the game to the other team and ended up scoring for the other team?“
This gets interesting as this question cannot be answered using The Google but I didn’t know that until today.
I am saving this story for another day.
In a final twist, I can ask what does the TV show, the Brady Bunch and the the only player in MLB History who started the game as a member of one time, was traded in the middle the game to the other team and ended up scoring for the other team have in common?
But to the point, you could raise these points to make a point and counter points with presenting specious facts of your own.
It was fun.
It was real engagement.
But when everyone has the GDP of every Brics country at their fingertips, there doesn’t seem to be much point in spirited debate.
You can challenge.
You can prove your point.
Or you don’t talk amongst yourselves, you just play the trivia contest that you can access via the QR Code on the coasters.
You can call out your score, but who cares?
Either way, it’s no life.
BTW, I knew Carol Brady’s maiden name because a book on the Brady Bunch came out back in 1990 with a complete cast list for the pilot and each season along with Guest Stars and in the pilot, two actors I cannot remember were listed as … Mr. and Mrs. Tyler (Parents of the Bride) and this factoid was added to the library of useless knowledge that is my brain.
Carol Brady was Caroline Ann “Carol” Brady or Caroline Ann “Carol” Martin née Carol Ann Tyler when see married Mike Brady.
No Haiku For You 