ASPC Weekly Hint

A Letter to the League

2009-03-31T11:53:00.000-07:00

We here at H.Q. pride ourselves that our league determines who is the very best at pop culture trivia, across all three of our current divisions. We determine this with our Championship, which is a 2-round single elimination competition. To qualify for this championship round, you must be among "the best of the best" in the league. The Wild Card seats for the Championship were created solely for the purpose of allowing a team that scored well compared to the league as a whole, but unfortunately came up against stiff competition within their division. It is intended as a "leveling of the playing field," so to speak. Should that team have competed in a different city, they may very well have won said division.

With the numerous cancellations this season, it has become clear that our Wild Card process was lacking the fairness that we created it for in the first place. With Portland having 13 week's worth of quizzes, versus San Francisco's 11 and Seattle's 10 weeks, things all of a sudden weren't on that "level playing field".

To solve this predicament, we are adjusting the rules ever so slightly to accommodate these unfortunate circumstances that were beyond our control, and to be fair to all teams in all divisions. The two Wild Card seats for the Championship will now be determined by the highest scores, league-wide, for the weeks that had all three divisions competing. We find that it is only fair that teams compete against each other for these Wild Card seats using the same opportunities, the same number of quizzes, and most importantly the exact same set of questions. This process of using the same questions is what makes All-Star Pop Culture unique and competitive.

You will now find a new ranking list on our website that shows the Wild Card race, and those team's position in this race based on this new criteria. This ranking includes the #1 ranked teams of each division, but at the close of the season, those teams will be removed since they will win their seat in the Championship by winning their division. With two weeks left to this season, and a potential 162 points going to any team, things remain just as competitive as ever.

Please understand, we are always hesitant about making any kind of changes mid-season, and our stock answer is always a "no". But we've faced some serious challenges this season that required these changes. We've given this much thought, and feel that this is the fairest resolution possible. We are very grateful for everyone's understanding, and we'll continue to make All-Star Pop Culture the best trivia night around.

Sincerely,

Trevor Trifiro
League Director
www.AllStarPopCulture.com

Ack!!

2009-03-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the silence, but things have been very busy here at the HQ lately. We're glad we had a great turnout for last week's Duplicity tie-in. This week is our music themed night, so dust off your 8-tracks and mixtapes, and bust out your favorite Video Game of Rawk Simulation. The Super 6 this week? Guitar Greats! In that vein, here are Steve 5 Favorite Music-Oriented Films in no particular order:

This is Spinal Tap
High Fidelity
Sid and Nancy
Purple Rain
A Hard Day's Night (Just because Trev would stab me if I left it out)

A Return to Form

2009-02-23T08:53:00.000-08:00

Wow! Great action last week! We've had good turnouts with lots of new faces. Apparently people have been spreading the word, and we appreciate it. But being the cruel masterminds we are, you've been rewarded with categories like That Guy! Tough but fun. We've been wheeling out fan favorites like Chick Flicks and more are on the way.

Newest Top 5 list? Post-Apocalyptic Flicks! Few genres really give writers the room for pure nuttiness like a bleak glimpse of the future based upon the destruction wrought by man's warring ways!

1) The Road Warrior - Any film with a guy named Lord Humongous has to be awesome.
2) A Boy and His Dog - A young Don Johnson does his best to get laid with the help of a telepathic dog. Yes, it's that weird.
3) The Omega Man - And not that Will Smith re-make. OH HELLL NO!
4) The Quiet Earth - Great survivor's tale in a classic cult flick from Australia.
5) On the Beach - A grim look at a world immediately after a nuclear war. One of the bleakest cold war movies ever made.

Anyone care to weigh in?

Week 6 SUPER 6 Hint

2009-02-16T13:04:00.000-08:00

Reminder

2009-02-11T12:31:00.000-08:00

Please note, as the result of a last-minute change by Jillian's, there will be no event at Seattle tomorrow night. Mark it on your calendar, write it on your forehead, or tattoo it on your chest like that guy in "Memento".

Week 5 SUPER 6 Hint

2009-02-08T13:16:00.001-08:00

Reminder:
No Quiz in Seattle

Score Dispute

2009-02-07T14:15:00.000-08:00

Every so often our human-ness peeks through the "Veil of Geek" that our question writers drape themselves in. In week 4's Super 6 round we asked this question:

"What was the best selling music single, earning Billboard's '#1 song of 1985'?"

While we were shooting for the answer of "We are the World" as displayed in the Answer round of the quiz, unfortunately the question was written poorly and confused some teams. "We are the World" was indeed the best selling single of 1985, but it seems that it did not earn a "#1 Song of 1985" designation. Billboard's "#1 Song" at the close of a given year, goes to the song that sits at the top of their Hot 100 chart. In 1985, that song happened to be "Careless Whisper".

We humbly admit that that question wasn't phrased the best it could have been, and we are giving teams that answered "Careless Whisper" a +4 for that question. (Teams that answered "We are the World" will not be losing any points)

We sincerely apologize, and the scores that are posted online will reflect the adjustments just as soon as your answer sheets reach H.Q. here in Seattle.

Week 3 Recap

2009-01-30T13:16:00.000-08:00

Last week was another great night of competition! In Seattle, newcomers Werewolf Bar Mitzvah seized their first win. Eleven teams were within 3 points of the lead at the half, but a sprint at the finish locked up the victory. In the San Francisco division, Shoe Money Tonight posted another win. And in the middle, Portland team Bologna Nipples had a strong showing against a widening field. The season is off to a great start.

Every week we get emails and comment cards with suggestions for categories. We really do take these seriously, and we're constantly updating the schedule to achieve the right balance. Several of the requests we've received this season were actually already scheduled, but we've also added more. Our basic criteria for a category are:

A) it's truly something that falls within the realm of "popular culture"? (Sorry to the team that asked for "economics")
B) it's not so specific as to be too limiting in focus, such as Iron Maiden B-sides or Elton John tour dates,
C) there must be sufficient material within the subject to generate enough questions with an appropriate range of difficulty,
D) Is it fun?

So keep those ideas coming. They do get used! In other news, we're working on adding more functionality to the blog, such as polls. So get your RSS on and subscribe. See you Thursday for our special 80s night, which is always a favorite.

Action!

2009-01-29T12:36:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone's had a chance to prep for tonight's big 6 category "Sequels". The Super 6 has been a great addition and we've received tons of positive feedback.

Big ups to Portland, who had 9 teams show up last week and we expect more this week! We're glad to see the word is getting out.

Today's top 5 list is Songs Which Would Enhance The Experience Of Watching Another Person Disrobe! Or simply put, stripper tunes. I'm going to forgo the obvious, tired inclusions to this list, such as Motley Crue's "Girls, Girls, Girls" and Joe Cocker's "You Can Leave Your Hat On", and go right for tunes that are not obvious, but still push the "filthy" button.

1) "Untitled (How Does It Feel)", D'Angelo
2) "Darling Nikki", Prince and the Revolution
3) "Suicide Messiah", Black Label Society
4) "Tape You", N.E.R.D.
5) "Moneymaker", Ludacris

Others? Again, more points for feel than subject matter.

Sound off!

2009-01-24T12:46:00.000-08:00

Alrighty then, friends and neighbors! We've enabled comments. Feel free to sound off as you like but keep it fun and constructive. And if it's something you'd rather not broadcast via comment, you can always email at info@allstarpopculture.com and we'll get right back to you.

Week 3 SUPER 6 Hint

2009-01-23T17:51:00.000-08:00

Kick off

2009-01-23T07:45:00.000-08:00

So there was great turnout for last night's Seattle season opener. We saw some returning favorites as well as several new teams. The response to the changes we've made in format and presentation has been very encouraging. Plus, we've got even more stuff brewing in the lab that we're sure you'll enjoy.

One of the challenges we face in preparing the quiz is developing new categories. Some are big hits, like Poptograms and Peeing Tom, and some are whiffs, like Name That Baldwin. We rely on incredibly complicated NASA-like statistical models to determine the success of each week's categories, but all the math in the world gets trumped by player feedback. Each week we read your comments, take suggestions, and during the season we review your ratings here.

Stayed tuned for next week's Super 6 category!

Tonight, tonight, ...

2009-01-22T09:07:00.000-08:00

Tonight the season begins in earnest here in Seattle. Last week, San Fran and the new Portland divisions posted their inaugural scores. Tonight, SFO gets a bye week, so they can relax and re-watch the season premiere of Lost and try to make some sense out of it. Benjamin Linus is definitely in my Top 5 Bad Guys and will be tough to knock out. Who else makes the list?

1) Roy Batty
2) Darth Vader
3) Hannibal Lector
4) Benjamin Linus
5) Anton Chigurh

In a great bit of 80s trivia, 25 years ago this week, two strange bedfellows announced their first offspring. Microsoft and Apple trumpeted their new suite of productivity products for the newest computer on the market, the Macintosh. But like many relationships, what seemed so pleasant and comfortable at first eventually turned south, devolving into a campaign of "anything you can do, I can do better".

I hope to see some familiar faces and some new teams tonight. Speaking of which, how many great songs can you come up with "tonight" in the title? "Heartache Tonight" by The Eagles, "Tonight, tonight, tonight" and "In the air tonight" by Phil Collins, and "Tonight, Tonight" by the Smashing Pumpins are a good start.

Meet the new boss...

2009-01-11T12:34:00.000-08:00

Same as the old? Super Karate Monkey Death Car has secured their third ASPC championship in a row. It was a close battle through the Final Four rounds, but the heads-up match between SKMDC and Rick Rolled by the Muppets was a well-fought final. It initially looked like it would be a runaway by the defending champs, the challengers mounted a valiant charge late in the second half. Unfortunately, they couldn't overtake the seemingly unstoppable incumbents. Congrats to the Super Karate folks and thanks to everyone who participated. Be sure to give us your feedback on the event!

In the tradition of every other journalistic outlet, the new year brings that classic old saw, the Top Ten list. This week, we here at ASPC HQ compared our faves and put together a list this I'm sure no one will agree with. It was a good year for film and we had to make some tough calls.

Honorable Mentions:

The Bank Job

The Strangers

Changeling

Let the Right One in

How about you? Anything slide under the radar?

Welt Meisterschaft!

2009-01-05T11:16:00.000-08:00

Pardon my crappy German, but the Season Championship is rapidly approaching! Saturday, January 10th at Jillian's in Seattle, four teams will collide in cerebral combat to determine who is the champeen and who needs to brush up on their US Weekly. If you are not one of the lucky ones who made the cut to compete, be sure to come out and root for your faves as well as take a shot at some door prizes.

In other news, the holiday season always brings a flurry of cinematic activity, with studios trying to garner last-minute Oscar entries and squeeze the most out of one of the most lucrative box office periods of the year. We here at ASPC HQ, driven partly by foul weather, have capitalized and screened some new releases, as well as gems we missed during the year. Stay tuned for a "Best of..." post.

Also, we're looking into integrating polls into the ASPC homepage. As always, we'd love to hear your opinions on many topics, as well as ideas for categories. Thanks again and we hope to see you all this Saturday!

An Era of Change

2008-12-17T10:31:00.000-08:00

All Star Pop Culture has been performing way better than any of us imagined here at ASPC headquarters, and we have to say "Thank you" to everyone who comes out each week to duke it out. We love getting feedback from the players, and we really take your comments to heart. As a result, there are some big changes coming down the pipe, with new locations, formats, and categories.

One big change is happening right here: the ASPC blog is being resurrected and re-cast as a conduit for our spin on pop culture as well as a chance to glance into the deeply unsettling pit from which the quiz springs forth. Add the blog to your favorite reader via RSS for a steady stream of picks and pans, lists and comments, and anything else that we believe will get people talking, thinking, and occasionally scratching their head. But most of all, just like you, we're fans and competitors.

L.K.D.P.H.S. Reigns Supreme!

2007-08-14T11:22:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to LouKingDiamondPhillipsHeadScrewdriver for winning the Spring Season of All-Star Pop Culture, and taking the title, trophy and the prize pool of $759.00!

LouKing dominated the night in both the Final Four round and the Championship. The Final Four round started with Timmy! and The Mogs (in on a Wild Card spot after SFO's GAPCOMGARGO declined to travel) rounding out the SEA side of things, and Firecrotch representing SFO. LouKing kick started the night in the first round with a perfect score in the category of "TV Pitches", the only perfect score of the match. After an audio round called "Lyrically Speaking" where teams needed to complete the lyrics of the audio clip, LouKing increased their lead with a 7/10. Next up was "A Current Affair" and it was time for Firecrotch to burn bright, with a 9/10 for the round, pulling into second place. With only a single round left LouKing had a lock on a Championship seat, and it was a battle for 2nd place. "Box Office Bombs" was the category and both the Mogs and Firecrotch got a near perfect 9/10, but with Firecroth in the lead going into the round, they win the second seat in the Championship! A hearty congrats to both The Mogs and Timmy! for finishing 3rd and 4th respectively, and for playing a great season.

So the Champiohnship turned out to be the regional battle that we had all hoped it would be: SEA vs. SFO. The teams were incredibly evenly matched, and the game was literally a nail-biter. The Championship was a head-to-head competition, with teams chosing categories for their opponents, so strategy was running high and the air was thick with comeptition and rivalry. LouKing came out to an early lead, but not by much as most of the first half was a 1-point see-saw match. Firecrotch fell behind a bit mid-half, but managed to make up some lost ground with a few categories to their liking. The first half ended with LouKing at 22 and Firecrotch at 19, still either team's game!

With Firecrotch correctly answering the first question of the second half, it become a tied game that would go back and forth for most of the half. Firecrotch pulled ahead with "Monty Python Movies" "Dope Rhymes" "Tom Cruise" and "Do you Know Jack?", but LouKing fought back with a 6 question run of correct answers/steals that gave them a 4 points lead. When Firecroth came within a point with a correct answer on "Spinal Tap", LouKing decided to use their Multiplier on the graphic category of "Superheroes". Answering the question correctly gave them double points and a 7 point lead. Firecrotch fought back with their multiplier on the "Lost" question, and brought it back to a 1 point game with only 1 question left for LouKing. The category was "Seinfeld" and they answered correctly for the win.

A definite crowd favorite, LouKing started the night in command, and held that command for most of the Final Four and the Championship. They kept the #1 rank in the Seattle Division for a majority of the Season, and clinched the Divisional Title, and moved on to play strong and win the League title. They are definately a team worthy of being ALL-STAR POP CULTURE CHAMPIONS!

We've posted the score sheets for a complete breakdown of how each team performed in the Post Season. We'd also like to thank every team that came out and played this past season. Please register if you haven't done so already, and we'll let you know when the schedule for the Fall Season is posted.

Post Season Survey

2007-08-11T14:45:00.000-07:00

If you participated in this past season of All-Star Pop Culture, please take a couple minutes and fill out our post season survey.

We value every player's opinion, and try to shape the league to cater to the desires of the players. We take everyone's opinions seriously.

Click Here to take survey

Week 11 Hint

2007-07-27T14:49:00.001-07:00

Bonus Round questions are valued by each team (like Final Jeopardy). Value cannot exceed 20 points, and will result in negative points should your team answer incorrectly.

Week 11 Hint:

Audio Scramble Results

2007-07-27T14:11:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Piranha Farm in our Seattle Division and Firecrotch in our San Francisco Division for winning the Audio Scramble! Both teams are the recipient of 50 points added to their respective seasonal scores.

Below is the list of 20 songs, in order, that were used to make up the 25 second clip. If you'd like to hear the clip again, you can do so here. All the song that were used were taken from Rolling Stone Magazine and MTV's 100 Greatest Pop Songs compiled in 2000.

1. Nothing Compares 2U - Sinead O'Connor
2. Hotel California - The Eagles
3. My Name Is - Eminem
4. Like A Virgin - Madonna
5. You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC
6. Respect - Aretha Franklin
7. Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
8. Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones
9. I Want You Back - The Jackson 5
10. I Want It That Way - Backstreet Boys
11. Sweet Child O Mine - Guns N Roses
12. Superstition - Stevie Wonder
13. Vogue - Madonna
14. Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
15. Mmm Bop - Hanson
16. Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen
17. Dancing Queen - ABBA
18. Jump - Van Halen
19. Faith - George Michael
20. Hit Me Baby - Britney Spears

2 Weeks Left

2007-07-23T18:17:00.000-07:00

This Thursday will be the second to last qualifying quiz of this Season. That's right, its this week and next to get yourself into the Post Season on August 10th.

A couple weeks ago we saw the 3-Minute Mental Floss round which gave everyone a chance to pad their points by answering a single question. This week will be your last opportunity to earn some extra points.

This week we will provide you with the Audio Scramble. A single audio clip consisting of short bits of many recognizable pop songs will be played. You will have 2 minutes to write down as many song titles as you can recognize. The team that gets the most correct answers will receive 50 points directly added to their Seasonal Score!

Post Season Info...

2007-07-22T14:19:00.000-07:00

The Post Season will consist of a single night of events at Jillian's in Seattle on Friday, August 10th. The night will start with the Final Four round, which will be a 4 -team quiz consisting of 4 rounds of 10 questions each. No halftime questions, no Bonus Round questions... just a pure quiz.

The 2 teams with the highest scores from the Final Four round will immediately move on to the Championship Round. The Championship round will have each team go head-to-head against each other, through a series of 12 questions in each half. At the start of each half, the teams will receive a list of 24 categories that have been used this season. Opposing teams will choose the category for each team to answer from (this is where the Results page comes in handy!). Once a category is chosen, it is out of play for the rest of the game. If a team answers correctly they receive 3 points. If the team cannot answer in 30 seconds, the opposing team can steal the question with a correct answer for 1 point. Each team will also have an optional "multiplier" to use in the second half. Multipliers will double the points for a single question, but will also double the steal points as well!

To qualify for the post season, your team must be ranked in the top 2 of either the Seattle Division or the San Francisco Division at the close of the 11th week of qualifiers. San Francisco teams travelling to Seattle will be provided lodging on the night of the Post Season, courtesy of Courtyard Marriott.

For more details, please visit the Rules page of our site, or email us.

Proud Sponsor of All-Star Pop Culture

Hint for Week 10

2007-07-20T16:18:00.000-07:00

Bonus Round questions are valued by each team (like Final Jeopardy). Value cannot exceed 20 points, and will result in negative points should your team answer incorrectly.

Week 2 Hint:

Hint for Week 2

2007-06-01T00:46:00.000-07:00

Bonus Round questions are valued by each team (like Final Jeopardy). Value cannot exceed 20 points, and will result in negative points should your team answer incorrectly.

Week 2 Hint:

Hint for Week 1 of New Season

2007-05-20T16:56:00.000-07:00

Bonus Round questions are valued by each team (like Final Jeopardy). Value cannot exceed 20 points, and will result in negative points should your team answer incorrectly.

Week 1 Hint: