02 May 2007
May 1st, 2007: I drove to New York City and auditioned for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. This was my second attempt at it, the first being at the end of the auditioning period in the fall of 2006. This time it was the second day of auditions... and I passed the test. I think I passed because they're either figuring out what the cutoff should be, or they just typically lower the bar at the beginning of the auditioning period.
I estimate that I got 22 right out of 30. Last time I got about 25 (and failed). And this time it seemed about 20 people passed out of 100, when last time it was about 20 out of 250.
I then proceeded to the personal interview. It was just casual conversation and a brief review of the answers we put down on the forms we had to bring (what would Meredith Vieira find interesting about you... what's your most embarrassing moment...etc...). I probably failed this interview - no way to know until I get the little postcard in the mail in a couple weeks, letting me know if I'm Millionaire material or not. But my interviewer made me feel comfortable, at least. Next time I'm going to put a lot more effort into putting down original comments that are actually interesting tidbits about my life.
We didn't have to sit through any show tapings this time, which made it much easier to remember the questions we were asked. Right after finishing the test, four of us sitting together tried to remember all the tough ones - I whipped out a notebook to write them down. And then the people giving us directions tried to distract us so we couldn't talk about them together. That didn't stop me from meeting one of the test passers outside after the interview and picking his brain for more of the questions! He gave his name as Matán. I think he has a better shot than me at getting on the show.
Anyhoo... here's what I remember. They're not quite the real questions but they lead to the right place - the answers. Answers are way below.
1. What Canadian city is McGill University located in?
2. Ali and Frazier fought a fight nicknamed (the answer choices all included a location name)...
3. Pesto sauce contains what kind of nuts?
4. Red Stripe Beer is from what country?
5. Zildjian is a company that makes what?
6. Gene Simmons is the front man for what rock group?
7. "Chasing Cars" is a song that became famous after being used in the finale of what TV show in 2006?
8. What did someone named Hummel draw that eventually turned into a popular product line?
9. What is a material that is made with metal thread?
10. What's on top of the Moulin Rouge in Paris?
11. Who opposed the film name Fahrenheit 9/11?
12. What's the profession of the person in The Great Gatsby billboard?
13. How many US states begin and end with the same letter?
14. Which US President had the phrase "The Buck Stops Here" on his desk?
15. About how many inches are in a meter?
16. A pith hat is typically worn during what activity?
17. The eucalyptus tree is native to what country?
18. What was the first state to secede from the Union during the Civil War?
19. Women in the Army during WWII were called WAC's. What were women in the Navy called?
20. Buckaroo is an old west term from a Spanish word meaning what?
21. What is the formula for the circumference of a circle?
22. Hindi is the national language of what country?
23. Alpaca is most like what animal?
24. What is the better hand in poker between a full house, 4 of a kind, and a straight flush?
Answers below...
1. What Canadian city is McGill University located in? Montreal
2. Ali and Frazier fought a fight nicknamed (the answer choices all included a location name)... Thrilla in Manila
3. Pesto sauce contains what kind of nuts? Pine nuts
4. Red Stripe Beer is from what country? Jamaica
5. Zildjian is a company that makes what? Cymbals
6. Gene Simmons is the front man for what rock group? KISS
7. "Chasing Cars" is a song that became famous after being used in the finale of what TV show in 2006? Gray's Anatomy
8. What did someone named Hummel draw that eventually turned into a popular product line? Porcelain dolls
9. What is a material that is made with metal thread? Lamé
10. What's on top of the Moulin Rouge in Paris? A windmill
11. Who opposed the film name Fahrenheit 9/11? Ray Bradbury
12. What's the profession of the person in The Great Gatsby billboard? Ocular guy
13. How many US states begin and end with the same letter? 4 (Alaska, Arizona, Alabama, Ohio)
14. Which US President had the phrase "The Buck Stops Here" on his desk? Truman
15. About how many inches are in a meter? 39
16. A pith hat is typically worn during what activity? Safari
17. The eucalyptus tree is native to what country? Australia
18. What was the first state to secede from the Union during the Civil War? South Carolina
19. Women in the Army during WWII were called WAC's (Women's Army Corp). What were women in the Navy called? WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service)
20. Buckaroo is an old west term from a Spanish word meaning what? Cowboy (according to Dictionary.com, it comes from baccaro... even though I knew the Spanish word as vaquero)
21. What is the formula for the circumference of a circle? Pi*d
22. Hindi is the national language of what country? India
23. Alpaca is most like what animal? Llama
24. What is the better hand in poker between a full house, 4 of a kind, and a straight flush? Straight flush