My Jeopardy! Journey - Preparing for the Audition

This is part two of a blog about my Jeopardy! experience.  For part one, follow the link at the bottom of this article.

I came home in early May to find an email from Jeopardy! inviting me to an in-person audition in Kansas City.  The audition was on a Tuesday in June at 11:00am. After I RSVP’ed, I went to the Jeopardy! message board to see if anyone else had posted about receiving an audition. A few had, but all of them reported having auditions that weekend before. I would soon find out that I was attending the last audition they would hold in Kansas City. I figured this was a good thing, right?  Fresh on their minds?

Most people don’t start prepping for the show (i.e. studying) until after they’ve gone through the audition, or for many, until they get the call asking them to come tape.  I, however, am a worrier.  I would hate to show up to the audition and fail the written test.  In Part 3 of this blog, I will talk about the actual audition, including that written test, in detail.

So, I begin studying.  In college, I bought a few books on a whim as I was thinking about the possibility of being on the Jeopardy! College Tournament.  First, I bought this:

And then, I bought this:

 

These are both books that break down crucial facts that “anyone going on a game show or playing trivia should know.”  So, I thought it would be a good idea to read them.  I studied them, learned many new things (and recognized some errors in the first book), and also spent time reviewing the Jeopardy! Archive – www.j-archive.com. I also searched online for audition stories from other folks who had gone through the process before.  However, I didn’t stress myself out too much about it, because at some point you just have to leave it up to fate.  I knew I couldn't study everything. I tried to see the bright side - if this whole Jeopardy! thing didn't work out, the studying I did wouldn't go to waste because I would likely use the knowledge at some point at local trivia I play each week.

Mostly what the studying helped me with was feeling confident.  When audition day arrived, I was confident that I had at least made an effort to be prepared and knowledgeable about how the day would go.  Onto the audition…

For part one of this article (The Online Test):  The Online Test

 

My Jeopardy! Journey - The Online Test

I have been very fortunate, in that I've been able to realize my dream of being on a game show.  In fact, I have been on two - Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. Even crazier (in my opinion), I have been able to appear on both shows, and I'm only 30 years old!

In the next few posts, I want to share all about my Jeopardy! experience in 2011.  As you read these entries, please feel free to leave comments about your experience.  If you'd like more info on anything related to the Jeopardy! process, the Wheel of Fortune process, or anything else related to getting on game shows, please check out the sidebar of this blog to find out how to contact me.

My journey, along with everyone else that wants to be on Jeopardy!, began with the written test that Jeopardy! administers yearly.  You sign up for the test through the show’s web site, where you choose on what date you’d like to test the test (out of three options) and what city you’d like to visit for an audition should you be chosen for one.  Normally, they give you six to eight options for audition cities, and luckily for me, Kansas City was one of the options.  I live about 40 minutes from KC, so that was a no-brainer.

The weekly trivia show I love is on Wednesday night, so I had to show up late, as my test was on Wednesday night in early February.  I could have chosen a Monday or Tuesday test, but Jeopardy! recommends that people in the Central time zone take it on Wednesday.   I should say that I've taken the test three times, but have never been chosen for an audition, although I believe I've passed the test every year (more on that later).  Not everyone that "passes"the test gets an audition. In fact, once you pass the test, it becomes a random selection process to determine who they will invite to an audition.  I just hadn't been lucky enough to be selected for an in-person audition in previous years.

The test consists of 50 clues in 50 different categories.  The show says that the clues are “bottom of the board” difficult. I’d disagree to an extent. There are some very tough clues on the test, but some pretty general ones, also.  If you’d like to see what the test looks like, some people have uploaded videos of the test to Youtube.  But, because they weren’t supposed to do that in the first place, I’m not going to link to one.

Well, I sit down to take the test, and it’s a doozy.  There are some questions I know immediately, some I had no clue on, some I figured out at the last minute, and some I guessed one (both successfully and unsuccessfully).  It really does cover a range of subjects – history, film, science, wordplay, literature….lots of literature.  I felt like there was more literature than anything else on the test.  I haven’t read a lot of “classic literature,” but because of high school quiz bowl, I was able to learn a lot about many different types of works.  On the show, it’s usually one of my strongest subjects.

What makes the test super difficult is the speed.  Once a question comes on the screen, you have about fifteen seconds to type in your answer.  If you don’t type it in in the allotted time, you miss your chance and you can’t go back and answer a question after the test has moved on.  Despite this, I tried to jot down on a scratch piece of paper what I answered for each question, so I could go back and check it.  The Jeopardy! message board users usually post a transcript of the test on the message board after it’s all said and done, so that’s a great way to go back and check your work.

I finish the test, quickly check some clues on which I was unsure, and then head to trivia night.  After trivia night wrapped up, I came home and officially “checked my work.”  I finished the test getting 40 questions right out of 50!  Jeopardy! lore says that 35 out of 50 is “passing,” but no one with any real knowledge or power has ever confirmed this. 

So, now that I have passed the test (I think), all I can do is sit back and wait to see if they ever notify me about an audition.  Fast forward to May, and I return home one evening to an email from Jeopardy!.....

The Muppets

I'm not sure why I was hesitant to see The Muppets. I LOVED The Muppet Show, and would watch it every day after kindergarten.  My sister and I had Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy dolls, and she even took the Kermit the Frog doll with her when she had to go to surgery once as a kid. My favorite lunch pail was, of course, a Muppet Show lunch pail.  Muppet Babies were a staple of Saturday mornings. I've seen the original Kermit the Frog in the Smithsonian (Museum of American History), and made it a point to have my picture taken with him. But I was scared. Scared that The Muppets might not be worth my time, wouldn't be that enjoyable, or that maybe I had outgrown the idea of the Muppets entertaining me.  I was wrong.

You can't help but smile the entire time you're watching The Muppets.  The film introduces a new Muppet to the fold - Walter - who needs a guiding force in his life.  He finds that force in the love he develops for the Muppet crew and Muppet Show culture.  When he gets the chance to go to L.A. with his brother (Jason Segel) and his brother's fiancee (Amy Adams), he can't believe it. A scheduled tour of Muppet Studios turns into a disaster as they quickly realize the place where the magic used to happen is deserted, dilapidated and nearly ruined.  Walter sneaks into Kermit's old office and overhears a meeting with a businessman who plans to buy Muppet Studios, bulldoze it, and seize the oil that's supposedly underneath the land.  This leads to a reunion of the Muppet crew, who plan a telethon to raise money to keep the studios from being bought.  Once they start cleaning, practicing and planning the show, the crew quickly realizes the magic of the Muppets never died.  At the same time, Jason Segel's character must balance his love and support for his brother with the effect these escapades are having on his relationship with Amy Adams's character.

Man, did I love this! The musical numbers are cheesy, but awesome. I fully expect some Best Original Song nominations to come from this.  It perfectly employs classic movie cliches, including two EPIC 80's-style montage sequences. That's what's so great about this movie.  It's not afraid to be silly.  It's not afraid to be heartwarming.  It's well-written.  It's accessible, even if you know nothing about the Muppets.  Plus, Amy Adams and Jason Segel are great, which doesn't hurt one bit.  Don't be surprised if this gets a Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture, Musical or Comedy.

This is a very funny movie, and you'll enjoy it.  I don't care how old you are or how young you are - go.  Go now.  Until then, check out two of the songs you could very easily see nominated for Best Original Song at the Oscars:

"Life's a Happy Song"


"Man or Muppet"


Image Courtesy of Disney, 2011. All Rights Reserved.

National Board of Review Winners

50/50 again?  It seems to be making a wave, doesn't it?

The National Board of Review, an exclusive New York-based group of film historians, filmmakers and film students, released their annual list of award winners today.  On the surface, one might wonder what sort of influence a group like this could have, but it's long and storied history provides it with the credibility to be noticed by critics, studios, and ultimately, Oscar voters. 

What I can say about this group is that they're never afraid to think outside the box when voting for their "best in film."  Often, their endorsement of a candidate helps that candidate gain traction with other critics awards.  The list is below.  Hugo being honored as Best Picture and it's director, Martin Scorsese, getting the win for Best Director should help Hugo tremendously.  As well, Tilda Swinton getting Best Actress for We Need to Talk About Kevin (which I haven't seen but have heard fantastic things about), should give her candidacy some great energy as we move through the next few months.  What do you think?  Have you seen any of these yet?

Best Film: Hugo
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Best Actor: George Clooney, The Descendants
Best Actress: Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Best Supporting Actress: Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
Best Original Screenplay: Will Reiser, 50/50
Best Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash, The Descendants
Best Animated Feature: Rango
Breakthrough Performance: Felicity Jones, Like Crazy
Breakthrough Performance: Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Debut Director: J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Best Ensemble: The Help
Spotlight Award: Michael Fassbender (A Dangerous Method, Jane Eyre, Shame, X-Men: First Class)
NBR Freedom of Expression: Crime After Crime
NBR Freedom of Expression: Pariah
Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation
Best Documentary: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Special Achievement in Filmmaking: The Harry Potter Franchise - A Distinguished Translation from Book to Film
 
Top Films
(in alphabetical order)
The Artist
The Descendants
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
The Ides of March
J. Edgar
The Tree of Life
War Horse
 
Top 5 Foreign Language Films
(In Alphabetical Order)
13 Assassins
Elite Squad: The Enemy Within
Footnote
Le Havre
Point Blank

Top 5 Documentaries
(In Alphabetical Order)
Born to be Wild
Buck
George Harrison: Living in the Material World
Project Nim
Senna
 
Top 10 Independent Films
(In Alphabetical Order)
50/50
Another Earth
Beginners
A Better Life
Cedar Rapids
Margin Call
Shame
Take Shelter
We Need To Talk About Kevin
Win Win

Grammy Predictions

The Grammy nominations are being announced tomorrow night. Here is my annual exercise in futility. Below, my 100% correct Grammy predictions:

Album of the Year
21, Adele
Watch the Throne, Jay-Z & Kanye West or My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West
Doo-Wops and Hooligans - Bruno Mars
The King of Limbs, Radiohead 
Speak Now - Taylor Swift
Alternates:  Duets II - Tony Bennett; Born this Way - Lady Gaga; The Union - Elton John & Leon Russell

Record of the Year
Adele "Rolling in the Deep" 
Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga "The Lady Is a Tramp"
Foster the People "Pumped Up Kicks"
Nicki Minaj "Super Bass" 
Katy Perry "Firework"
Alternates: "Grenade" - Bruno Mars, "Moves Like Jagger" - Maroon 5 & Christina Aguilera

Song of the Year
Adele “Rolling in the Deep”
Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson "Don't You Wanna Stay"
Foster the People “Pumped Up Kicks”
Mumford and Sons "The Cave"
Katy Perry “Firework” Alternates: "Back to December" - Taylor Swift; "Grenade" - Bruno Mars 

New Artist
The Band Perry
Bon Iver
The Civil Wars
Foster the People
Nicki Minaj 
Alternates: Jessie J, Ellie Goulding

Pop Solo Performance
Adele “Someone Like You”
Beyoncé “Best Thing I Never Had”
Lady Gaga “You and I”
Bruno Mars “Grenade”
Katy Perry “Firework” 
Alternates: Paul Simon "So Beautiful or So What", Sting "Never Coming Home"

Pop Duo/Group
Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse “Body and Soul”
Foster the People “Pumped Up Kicks”
Elton John, Leon Russell & Neil Young “Gone to Shiloh”
LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett & Goonrock “Party Rock Anthem”
Maroon 5 & Christina Aguilera “Moves Like Jagger” 
Alternates: OneRepublic "Good Life", Quincy Jones feat. Amy Winehouse, "It's My Party"

Actually, I don't feel good about these at all.

New York Film Critics Circle Awards

The New York Film Critics Circle has released their list of honorees for their annual awards.  In my previous post, I mentioned a new found need to see Drive, and that need is confirmed, as they've chosen Albert Brooks as their Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film.  Critics are known for creating, fostering, or killing buzz, but it's important to remember that critics don't actually vote for Oscar nominees.  However, the Golden Globes are presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a group of international journalists and critics.

The Artist was chosen as Best Picture, and if you haven't heard of it, check out the trailer - it's a silent film that takes you back to 1920's Hollywood:


Here are the list of winners:

Best Picture The Artist
Best Cinematography Emmanuel Lubezki, The Tree of Life
Best Screenplay Steven Zaillian & Aaron Sorkin, Moneyball
Best Director Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Best Foreign Language Film A Separation
Best Actor Brad Pitt, Moneyball & The Tree of Life
Best Actress Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Best Supporting Actor Albert Brooks, Drive
Best Supporting Actress Jessica Chastain, The Tree of Life, The Help, and Take Shelter
Best First Feature Margin Call
Best Non-Fiction Film Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Spirit Award Nominations

The first major award show to release their nominations each year, the Spirit Awards (formerly Independent Spirit Awards) is always willing to take risks and honor films that the Oscars hesitate to adopt. Of course, the films honored have to meet budget and production restrictions, which makes it a perfect opportunity to give public attention to films that may have only played at local, independent theaters.

On the list of nominations includes a Best Feature nomination for 50/50, which I had actually forgot I had seen until I saw it listed amongst these nominations. That being said, it shocks me that I forgot, because I enjoyed 50/50 quite a bit.  So far, and it's very early, of the films receiving nods here, I've seen Midnight in Paris, 50/50, and Martha Marcy May Marlene.  I keep being pulled away from seeing The Descendants, but I will see that shortly.  I was not planning on placing Drive high on my priority list, and I don't think it will gain much traction anywhere else, but I guess I will add it.

Also interesting is that many are saying Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs is one of two or three people who might beat Meryl Streep this year for Best Actress (the others being Viola Davis for The Help and Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn.)  However, Glenn isn't even nominated here, although her costar Janet McTeer is nominated for Best Supporting Actress. This won't mean a lot in the grand scheme of things, but it's an odd oversight.

For anyone that saw Grand Rapids, was John C. Reilly particularly good or memorable?

Best Feature
50/50
Beginners
Drive
Take Shelter
The Artist
The Descendants

Best Director
Mike Mills, Beginners
Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive
Jeff Nichols, Take Shelter
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants

Best First Feature
Another Earth
In The Family
Margin Call
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Natural Selection

Best Male Lead
Demian Bichir, A Better Life
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Ryan Gosling, Drive
Woody Harrelson, Rampart
Michael Shannon, Take Shelter

Best Female Lead
Lauren Ambrose, Think of Me
Rachel Harris, Natural Selection
Adepero Oduye, Pariah
Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Best Supporting Male
Albert Brooks, Drive
John Hawkes, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
John C. Reilly, Cedar Rapids
Corey Stoll, Midnight in Paris

Best Supporting Female
Jessica Chastain, Take Shelter
Anjelica Huston, 50/50
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Harmony Santana, Gun Hill Road
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

John Cassavetes Award for films made under $500,000
Bellflower
Circumstance
Hello Lonesome
Pariah
The Dynamiter

Best Documentary
An African Selection
Bill Cunningham New York
The Interrupters
The Redemption of General Butt Naked
We Were Here

Best Cinematography
Joel Hodge, Bellflower
Benjamin Kasulke, The Off Hours
Darius Khondji, Midnight in Paris
Guillaume Shiffman, The Artist
Jeffrey Waldron, The Dynamiter

Best First Screenplay
Mike Cahill & Brit Marling, Another Earth
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Patrick DeWitt, Terri
Phil Johnston, Cedar Rapids
Will Reiser, 50/50

Best Screenplay
Joseph Cedar, Footnote
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Tom McCarthy, Win Win
Mike Mills, Beginners
Alexander Payne, The Descendants

Best International Film
A Separation
Melancholia
Shame
The Kid With a Bike
Tyrannosaur

Piaget Producer’s Award
Chad Burris, Mosquita y Mari
Sophia Lin, Take Shelter
Josh Mond, Martha Marcy May Marlene

Someone to Watch Award
Simon Arthur, Silver Tongues
Mark Jackson, Without
Nicholas Ozeki, Mamitas

Truer Than Fiction Award
Heather Courtney, Where Soldiers Come From
Danfung Dennis, Hell and Back Again
Alma Ha’rel, Bombay Beach

Robert Altman Award for ensemble
Margin Call (Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto, Kevin Spacey, Stanley Tucci)

Martha Marcy Mae Marlene

I went into Martha Marcy Mae Marlene with no knowledge of the film whatsoever, except the fact that it played to rave reviews at Sundance, Elizabeth Olsen was in it and that she's related to some other famous Olsens. Funny enough, a disaster related to showing up fifteen minutes early for a screening of The Descendants and there only being front row seats left led us to this little film.

Martha is the story of a woman who has escaped from a cult and has taken refuge with her uptight sister and her sister's well-to-d0 husband. Throughout the film, little things trigger her memories of the cult and the sometimes awful things that occurred there. She's always scared that the cult leader (played by John Hawkes) will find out to where she's escaped and come for her, which causes her to not only distrust the family she's staying with, but also herself. The title makes sense as you watch her progression through the cult ranks and through her interactions with her sister and brother-in-law.

The film leaves many unresolved questions, like how she wound up in the cult in the first place, and the ending (which, of course, I don't want to reveal) leaves you wondering as well. Honestly, I felt a little cheated by the ending, not because there wasn't a definitive answer, but because what they did explore in the final scene felt undeveloped.

This is certainly a film that requires time and patience. Watching the first of it, if you don't know what to expect, it's easy to get confused quickly. I know I did, which I know caused me to miss some small details. But now that you've read this, hopefully that won't be a problem for you.

What I noticed is that I never really liked the lead character. I just watched her and appreciated the fear and uneasiness she was going through. But I never felt an attachment to her or ever found myself rooting for her. Despite that, Elizabeth Olsen does a great job at showing restraint when she needs to and emotion when she needs to. She's getting a little bit of Oscar buzz, but I don't think we'll see her contending for Best Actress. John Hawkes, as the leader of the Amish-like cult, does a great job playing the cool, calm, collected, yet scary as hell cult leader. He knows how to keep his followers in check with a soothing voice and a "if you cross me, that's the end of you" implication to everything he says. Watching him in Winter's Bone and now this, I'm convinced he should be to go-to-guy for a grizzled, sinister patriarchal character.

A particular scene that really made me gasp was a shot of Hawkes's women gardening out in the yard. The camera pans over a wide shot of each of them tending to sort part of the yard. In the distance, you can see ominous storm clouds in the sky, and as the camera stops panning, you can see two white crosses in the background (obviously implying that people are buried under those crosses). It's at this point you realize that, for at least some of these women, there may not be a happy ending.

If you decide to see this, be ready to pay close attention and have some lingering questions when you're done. But really, that's a good thing, right?

Image courtesy Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2011. All Rights Reserved.

My Week with Marilyn

It's Oscar season! So begins my five month journey into watching lots of artsy films and trying to predict who will win different film awards. I won (tied) AMC Theatre's Oscar Prediction Contest in 2011, so we're looking for a two-peat! And away we go...

I watched the first Oscar-y contender of the year, Midnight in Paris, earlier in the year, but I neglected to write a blog post on it. I guess I'll need to catch it again on DVD in order to properly summarize it for you, my seven loyal readers. Well technically, I guess I've seen two Oscar-y films so far. Bridesmaids is starting to get buzz for Melissa McCarthy as Best Supporting Actress and for Best Original Screenplay, two things that are completely shocking to me. I would love it if Melissa McCarthy got a Best Supporting Actress nomination, but no way was I going to stick my head out and predict that before she started having the best year of her life, career wise.

On to the task at hand - My Week with Marilyn. I received free passes for this film, so I decided to check it out. It's getting Oscar buzz for Michelle Williams as Best Actress and Kenneth Branagh as Best Supporting Actor. The story revolves around a young man getting a job with Laurence Olivier's film studio, meeting Marilyn on set, and developing a kinship with her during the filming of The Prince and the Showgirl.

I was entertained throughout the film. It was a story that kept me interested and intrigued. However, it didn't leave me passionate about either Michelle Williams or Kenneth Branagh and their chances for Oscars. I never got past the fact that it was Michelle Williams playing Marilyn Monroe. I was never absorbed enough to forget that it was Michelle Williams I was watching. Michelle had Marilyn's mannerisms down, and had more than a passing resemblance, but I never got sucked in. Kenneth Branagh's portrayal of Laurence Olivier did nothing for me, really. Honestly, my two favorite parts of the film were Judi Dench in her miniscule role as Dame Sybil Thorndike, a senior actress who ends up supporting Marilyn when the rest of the film crew dismisses her talents and her antics, and Eddie Redmayne, who played the eager third assistant director who got to spend the titular "week with Marilyn." Both Dench and Redmayne provided humor to the film, and provided great support to Michelle Williams in critical scenes.

Most Oscarologists won't share my opinion of Michelle Williams's portrayal, and she'll coast to a nomination. Kenneth Branagh will likely receive one as well. But don't expect either to win. But even with these minor criticisms, this still is a very good film.

I'm seeing The Descendants tonight, again thanks to a free screening of the film before it hits theaters. For now, let me begin my yearly ranking of Oscar-y films:

1. Midnight in Paris
2. My Week with Marilyn
3. Bridesmaids
4. Super 8
5. The Hangover 2

And the blog is being funky, so if you want to see older blog posts, please click "Older Posts."

Image courtesy of The Weinstein Company, 2011. All rights reserved.

Emmy Nominee Predictions

For the record, here are my predictions:

Drama Series

Boardwalk Empire
Dexter
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife
House
Mad Men

Actor, Drama Series

Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House
Christopher Meloni, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Actress, Drama Series

Kathy Bates, Harry’s Law
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Katey Sagal, Sons of Anarchy
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Supporting Actor, Drama Series

Andre Braugher, Men of a Certain Age
Alan Cumming, The Good Wife
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
John Noble, Fringe
Michael Pitt, Boardwalk Empire
John Slattery, Mad Men

Supporting Actress, Drama Series

Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Sharon Gless, Burn Notice
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire
Margo Martindale, Justified
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife

Comedy Series

30 Rock
The Big Bang Theory
Glee
Modern Family
The Office
Parks and Recreation

Actor, Comedy Series

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Louis C.K., Louie
Steve Carell, The Office
Joel McHale, Community
Matthew Morrison, Glee
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Actress, Comedy Series

Toni Collette, The United States of Tara
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Laura Linney, The Big C
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Supporting Actor, Comedy Series

Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Chris Colfer, Glee
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Ed O’Neill, Modern Family
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Supporting Actress, Comedy Series

Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Jane Lynch, Glee
Wendie Malick, Hot in Cleveland
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Betty White, Hot in Cleveland
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live

Reality/Competition Program

The Amazing Race
American Idol
Dancing with the Stars
Survivor
Top Chef

Inauguration Trivia

To commemorate the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth, the same bible that was used for Lincoln's inauguration was used for Obama's inauguration. It is called the "Lincoln Bible" and is housed at the Library of Congress.

A Little African Geography

There are five countries in Africa that contain a "z" in their name:

Tanzania
Mozambique
Swaziland
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Every country in Africa that contains a "z" borders at least two other countries whose name contains a "z", except Swaziland, which only borders Mozambique. Mozambique, however, borders all four of the other "z" countries.

Albert Brooks

Fun fact learned today - Albert Brooks had to change his name TO Albert Brooks, because his original name was......Albert Einstein.

Fun Facts About Assassination

Soon, unless I bomb my audition, I will be jumping headfirst into the Jeopardy! contestant pool for the next eighteen months. Realizing that I don't use this blog as much as I should (I paid for it and all), I've decided I'm going to post interesting things I learn while studying.

First up.....assassination (get excited)!

Did you know....
* the word 'assassination' has the same etymological root as 'hashish', and it is believed that ancient assassinators may have been under the influence of hashish while doing the deed (assassinating)?
* the first use of the word "assassination" is believed to be in Macbeth?

You're way smarter now.

Enough with Charlie Sheen

Yes, Charlie Sheen is acting crazy. Is this really news to anyone? Doesn't this happen once every few years with him?

What I find fascinating is that this is a classic display of possible bipolar symptoms, yet no one is really discussing that.

That being said, I'm tired of hearing about Charlie Sheen...on my homepage, on national news, everywhere. Two and a Half Men is not funny, and it will not be a national tragedy if the show goes away. I feel awful for the crew of the show, but again, if you work with Charlie Sheen, you have to be assuming some level of risk there.

That will be the first, and last, time I will discuss Charlie Sheen on this blog. Back to your original broadcasting.