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Most stupid answer to a quiz question ever!


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Old 01-02-2016, 12:23
kmusgrave
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So that's the end of this thread then. Till now people have regarded all three types as stupid.

Not knowing Nairobi is not a country is astoundingly stupid. If your general knowledge is that bad you have no business being in a quiz show.
What a ridiculous thing to say! Just because someone doesn't know every fact about everything you know, doesn't make them astoundingly stupid. I would go as far as to say it was actually a good guess for that question on a show like pointless.
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Old 01-02-2016, 12:34
snukr
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No it isn't the end of the thread. Your opinion that just because you know something and someone else doesn't makes them stupid is patronising.

Crocodiles hovering over lakes and an animal commonly known as a 'gator' being a giraffe are stupid. Naming countries, capitals and currencies for instance needs specific knowledge.
If somebody was going on Pointless, where they know there's a strong chance of there being a geography question, you'd expect them to brush up on their geography beforehand if it isn't a strong subject for them.
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Old 01-02-2016, 12:37
JeffG1
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I don't think stupid is the right word. Certainly, it's wrong but I agree with the comment before you that at least it's in Africa and it's a city but a big enough one at that that if you didn't have enough knowledge of Africa then you'd guess it was country.

Although, I don't know if you watch Pointless often, but the contestants certainly aren't winning any awards for intelligence any time soon.
The right word is ignorant.
I agree with the right honourable member. Perhaps we need another thread "Most ignorant answer"

Thinking Nairobi is a country is not stupid, just extremely ignorant. It's simple general knowledge, which I am sure everyone contributing to this thread would also know.
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Old 01-02-2016, 12:47
mashamoto79
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The thing with Pointless though is they have quite a bit of time to think of an answer. Sometimes, if they give a stupid answer on the cash builder on The Chase then I give them the benefit doubt as it is so quick.
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Old 01-02-2016, 13:05
JeffG1
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Sometimes, if they give a stupid answer on the cash builder on The Chase then I give them the benefit doubt as it is so quick.
Like me, answering Man United when asked which English team Lukas Podolski joined in 2012.

Was that stupid, or just lack of knowledge? (It was Arsenal, by the way.)
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Old 01-02-2016, 13:36
allafix
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No it isn't the end of the thread. Your opinion that just because you know something and someone else doesn't makes them stupid is patronising.

Crocodiles hovering over lakes and an animal commonly known as a 'gator' being a giraffe are stupid. Naming countries, capitals and currencies for instance needs specific knowledge.
Your post attempted to define what a stupid answer was. I disagreed with your first two categories as not being stupid. You seem to think an answer can only be stupid if it ignores an obvious clue in the question.

Of course factual questions need specific knowledge to get right, but that doesn't mean every wrong answer is justified as a guess and therefore can't be stupid. If people don't have a good general knowledge they should not be applying to go on quiz shows and embarrassing themselves.
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Old 01-02-2016, 13:41
allafix
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What a ridiculous thing to say! Just because someone doesn't know every fact about everything you know, doesn't make them astoundingly stupid. I would go as far as to say it was actually a good guess for that question on a show like pointless.
I don't know every fact either, but knowing Nairobi is not a country is rather basic general knowledge. Sometimes I wonder whether quiz show producers deliberately screen out knowledgeable contestants, especially on shows like Tipping Point and In It to Win It where the questions are easy and someone with good GK could clean up.
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Old 01-02-2016, 13:46
lundavra
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What a ridiculous thing to say! Just because someone doesn't know every fact about everything you know, doesn't make them astoundingly stupid. I would go as far as to say it was actually a good guess for that question on a show like pointless.
I think many people are confused over country names because they are changing all the time, many have disappeared and other new ones appeared. I think they should be required to give the complete name of a country rather than the colloquial name.
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Old 01-02-2016, 13:48
allafix
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Like me, answering Man United when asked which English team Lukas Podolski joined in 2012.

Was that stupid, or just lack of knowledge? (It was Arsenal, by the way.)
I wouldn't say that was stupid because Man Utd is a possible answer (being an English football team). If you'd said Saracens or Leeds Rhinos that would have been stupid.
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Old 01-02-2016, 14:04
mashamoto79
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I wouldn't say that was stupid because Man Utd is a possible answer (being an English football team). If you'd said Saracens or Leeds Rhinos that would have been stupid.
Totally agree!

And I wouldn't know the answer to that. So would that make me stupid and/or ignorant?

But at least I heard of the player
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Old 01-02-2016, 14:06
davelovesleeds
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I think many people are confused over country names because they are changing all the time, many have disappeared and other new ones appeared. I think they should be required to give the complete name of a country rather than the colloquial name.
On Celebrity Pointless on Saturday the male darts player, can't recall his name, was asked for a country with W,X,Y or Z in its name. He answered Zaire which is no longer valid as it is now Democratic Republic of the Congo but I wouldn't say that was a stupid answer just an out of date one.
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Old 01-02-2016, 15:15
JeffG1
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Totally agree!

And I wouldn't know the answer to that. So would that make me stupid and/or ignorant?

But at least I heard of the player
Well I hadn't! Man Utd was a good guess because Man Utd is the answer to most football questions.

I got a good ribbing from my son over that, though!
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Old 01-02-2016, 15:27
kevthelutonbee
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Watching The Getaway Car on Saturday.

Name as many teams as you can that have played in the English Premier League

Amongst many daft answers was Real Madrid
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Old 01-02-2016, 15:58
jsmith99
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Like me, answering Man United when asked which English team Lukas Podolski joined in 2012.

Was that stupid, or just lack of knowledge? (It was Arsenal, by the way.)
I've never understood why questions like that should be classed as 'general knowledge'. I'm sure there are more people who've never heard of him (or, of course, her) than have.

There was a question in one quiz: "who was BBC's sports personality of the year in [I think] 1974". How on earth would anyone, even sports fans know that? It was only when the possible answers came up that it was obvious who'd won, and why it should be memorable.

EDIT: For the sake of accuracy, just checked, and it was 1971. So over 40 years prior to the question being set.
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Old 01-02-2016, 16:05
clm2071
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I've never understood why questions like that should be classed as 'general knowledge'. I'm sure there are more people who've never heard of him (or, of course, her) than have.

There was a question in one quiz: "who was BBC's sports personality of the year in [I think] 1974". How on earth would anyone, even sports fans know that? It was only when the possible answers came up that it was obvious who'd won, and why it should be memorable.

EDIT: For the sake of accuracy, just checked, and it was 1971. So over 40 years prior to the question being set.
That's quite a common quiz question, certainly one that many regular quizzers would more than likely know
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Old 01-02-2016, 16:19
Twenty10
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I was watching an early episode of For What It's Worth (BBC daytime antiques quiz)

Q) Which Founding Father of the United States is also credited with inventing the lightning rod?

A) Oh what was he called? Oh yeah, Dr Emmett Brown!


That's only 'stupid' (in your opinion) because you either know the correct answer or know who Emmett Brown is/was.

Until I read further down in this thread, I had no idea who Emmett Brown was, so it would have been a perfectly good guess as far as I (and probably many people) were concerned.

Can you educate us why it was 'stupid' please?
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Old 01-02-2016, 16:34
clm2071
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That's only 'stupid' (in your opinion) because you either know the correct answer or know who Emmett Brown is/was.

Until I read further down in this thread, I had no idea who Emmett Brown was, so it would have been a perfectly good guess as far as I (and probably many people) were concerned.

Can you educate us why it was 'stupid' please?
Why do you think that naming one of the lead characters from Back to the Future as one of America's founding fathers isn't just a teeny bit stupid?
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Old 01-02-2016, 16:35
davads
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That's quite a common quiz question, certainly one that many regular quizzers would more than likely know
Yes, I'm not a sports nut by any stretch of the imagination but I've just looked it up and I would have got it right, just something about the year that rang a bell.

Even if it hadn't been a more memorable Sports Personality winner than most (and that probably gives away the answer ), it's lists of things like this that the the likes of the Eggheads and Chasers learn by rote as a matter of course, so I think you have to say that this sort of stuff is fair game to be asked questions on, 40-plus years ago or not. Particularly if it's multiple choice, because then you can get clues from the possible alternatives and rule any out if the year doesn't seem to fit.
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Old 01-02-2016, 16:44
allafix
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That's quite a common quiz question, certainly one that many regular quizzers would more than likely know
Quizzers yes, but only of the list learning variety. I've done a few quizzes and never had that kind of hardcore question. It is guessable though. It's likely to be an unusual answer. 1971 wasn't a big sporting year but in that era Princess Anne was a winner. Not knowing the answer, and without looking it up, my best guess would be her. On checking, Princess Anne was indeed the answer.
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Old 01-02-2016, 16:48
davads
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Quizzers yes, but only of the list learning variety.
I don't know - like I say, if it's multiple choice you'd probably see Princess Anne on the options and think to yourself that there had to be a reason she was included... (I was keeping the answer spoiler free above so people could play along, but as you've quoted her name I may as well! )
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Old 01-02-2016, 16:54
allafix
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That's only 'stupid' (in your opinion) because you either know the correct answer or know who Emmett Brown is/was.

Until I read further down in this thread, I had no idea who Emmett Brown was, so it would have been a perfectly good guess as far as I (and probably many people) were concerned.

Can you educate us why it was 'stupid' please?
The person must have known Emmett Brown was a character in Back to the Future (where the plot revolves around a lightning strike on a clock tower). So the association of the character with lightning is fair enough. But anyone who guesses that a science fiction film character was one of the US Founding Fathers is definitely in the stupid answers category.
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Old 01-02-2016, 16:55
clm2071
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Quizzers yes, but only of the list learning variety. I've done a few quizzes and never had that kind of hardcore question. It is guessable though. It's likely to be an unusual answer. 1971 wasn't a big sporting year but in that era Princess Anne was a winner. Not knowing the answer, and without looking it up, my best guess would be her. On checking, Princess Anne was indeed the answer.
I've been to quite a few quizzes over the years and this question (or variations such as 'which member of the Royal Family won SPOTY in 1971' or 'what did Princess Anne win in 1971?) Has come up numerous times.

I wouldn't class it as a hard-core question or one for the list learning quizzers, I've certainly never learned the SPOTY list. In fact, Princess Anne is one of the only winners I could name with certainty!
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Old 01-02-2016, 17:01
clm2071
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The person must have known Emmett Brown was a character in Back to the Future (where the plot revolves around a lightning strike on a clock tower). So the association of the character with lightning is fair enough. But anyone who guesses that a science fiction film character was one of the US Founding Fathers is definitely in the stupid answers category.
Pretty much what I was going to post. He clearly knew the name Emmett Brown, he even gave him Dr as his title.

As I posted earlier the contestants logic was evident, American? Yep, Inventor? Yep, Lightning? Well, it's a key part in the plot.....
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Old 01-02-2016, 17:33
lundavra
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I've never understood why questions like that should be classed as 'general knowledge'. I'm sure there are more people who've never heard of him (or, of course, her) than have.

There was a question in one quiz: "who was BBC's sports personality of the year in [I think] 1974". How on earth would anyone, even sports fans know that? It was only when the possible answers came up that it was obvious who'd won, and why it should be memorable.

EDIT: For the sake of accuracy, just checked, and it was 1971. So over 40 years prior to the question being set.
Agreed, I always object to sports questions being considered General Knowledge and you being expected to know who won the FA Cup many years ago - I could not even tell you who won or played last year.
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Old 01-02-2016, 17:54
clm2071
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Agreed, I always object to sports questions being considered General Knowledge and you being expected to know who won the FA Cup many years ago - I could not even tell you who won or played last year.
I've always understood that general knowledge questions can be any subject but at a level that doesn't require in depth knowledge
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