Buckeye trio takes on new pop culture show from ‘Jeopardy!’
See if you can answer questions that helped get this team of trivia masters into the quarterfinals, airing in February.
More than 50,000 people applied to be on the new “Pop Culture Jeopardy!,” a twist on the classic game show, and of the 81 teams that competed in the first round, one was made entirely of Buckeyes. No surprise to us, they dominated their round and moved onto the quarterfinals, which begin airing on Prime Video on Feb. 5.
Andy Hall ’13, Alex Pribil ’17 JD and Melissa Wasser ’17 JD, ’17 MA met at Ohio State in 2014 and “were avid trivia participants at bars around Columbus during our time together at Ohio State,” Wasser says. The “Pop Culture Jeopardy!” competition proved their chops—and their love for Lady Gaga and Pokémon. The three fans named their team “Little Pocket Monsters” in a nod to both, an explanation that drew a laugh from host Colin Jost, a “Saturday Night Live” comedian who—bonus trivia—is married to actor Scarlett Johansson and graduated from Harvard. “A much more PG explanation than I was implying,” he says of their team name during their Episode 2 competition, released Dec. 4.
“As someone who has watched and played ‘Jeopardy!’ (at home!) for years, it was a full circle moment being able to compete,” Wasser says. “Given our trivia history during our time at Ohio State, Alex and Andy were the first two people I asked to audition for ‘PCJ!’ It felt amazing to get the band back together and win our knockout round game!”
In their first go, Little Pocket Monsters racked up points worth $27,601, beating the second-place Tinker Tailor Quiz Show Guys’ $23,800 and the third-place All That Jazz’s $0. The Buckeyes correctly responded to 24 clues to get there. Here’s a selection; correct responses are at the bottom of this story.
Test how you’d do on “Pop Culture Jeopardy!”
Romans for $400
In a pivotal scene in “The Lizzie McGuire Movie,” Isabella asks this Roman to sing to her.
Country Men & Women, Daily Double
This 2015 Chris Stapleton hit could have been about Jack Daniel’s; the real thing has been made in Lynchburg since the 1860s.
I Can Do Two Things for $800
Carrie Brownstein handled guitar and vocals for Sleater-Kinney before co-writing and starring in this IFC sketch show.
TV Swan Songs for $1,200
“Breathe Me” from this singer played as we saw the fate of the Fisher family unravel over decades on the “Six Feet Under” finale.
I’m Suffering From Dystopia, Daily Double
At the start of this film, we learn that 18-year-old Baby Diego, the youngest person on Earth, is dead.
Pop Quiz in Math for $800
Number of title “Simple Rules” on a sitcom plus Rob Thomas’ band number.
Back in 2019 for $400
2019 brought us the first official one of these seasons that got its name from a song by Megan Thee Stallion.
Phrase Origins, Final Jeopardy
A famous wrestler was dared to do a dance and hand gesture during a televised match, leading to this famous diss.
Trivia gurus since Ohio State
The show was recorded on the classic “Jeopardy!” stage. What was that like? “Reuniting with Alex and Andy on the Alex Trebek stage was a dream come true,” Wasser says. “We arrived at the set in the morning and ended up not playing our game until the late evening. While this could have been nerve wracking to some, our fellow contestants were so kind and welcoming, and we had a great time meeting folks and watching other episodes tape backstage.”
Wasser and Pribil met while law students at Ohio State; Hall was a recent graduate who majored in communications and—bonus trivia—had played trombone in TBDBITL. Pribil, associate director of advancement at the University of Florida, and Hall, a restaurant coordinator, both live in Orlando and are members of the Central Florida Alumni Club. Wasser is policy counsel with the ACLU-D.C. in Washington, D.C.; a member of the alumni association’s Board of Directors and president of The Alumni Club of Washington, D.C.; and—bonus trivia—an avid bowler who once scored a perfect 300.
From the quarterfinals, nine teams will advance to the semifinals, airing Feb. 26, and the final is set for March 5. The team that wins the competition will take home $300,000.
Hall, Pribil and Wasser aren’t the only Buckeyes competing for the jackpot. Miranda Onnen ’15 and her team, Personality Hires, competed in Episode 3 and also advanced to the quarterfinals. She and her teammates have each competed on “Jeopardy!” previously.
The team Buggsy Moages, which plays its first-round game Wednesday, Jan. 15, includes two Buckeyes: Lauren Menke Manton ’14, ’17 MS and Eric Swallie ’11.
How’d you do?
Romans for $400: Who is Paolo?
Country Men & Women, Daily Double: What is “Tennessee Whiskey”?
I Can Do Two Things for $800: What is “Portlandia”?
TV Swan Songs for $1,200: Who is Sia?
I’m Suffering From Dystopia, Daily Double: What is“Children of Men”?
Pop Quiz in Math for $800: What is 28 (Eight plus Matchbox 20)?
Back in 2019 for $400: What is “Hot Girl Summer”?
Phrase Origins, Final Jeopardy: What is “You can’t see me”?
