The world is awash with contradictions. Case in point: Trivia nights and trivia in general have never been more popular. Trivia is based on unassailable facts, but facts have now become fungible based on what news network you watch. Trump lost the 2020 election? Depends on if you're watching Fox News. COVID was a virus that has killed more than 1.5 million Americans? Depends on what anti-vaxxer / conspiracy theory social media site and rabbit hole you have plunged down.
But the basic premise remains the same: People enjoy the thrill of providing correct answers to questions about lesser-known facts.
“You get a rush or a neuroreward signal or a dopamine burst from winning,” John Kounios, Ph.D., professor of psychology and director of the doctoral program in applied cognitive and brain sciences at Drexel University in Pennsylvania, told Healthline. “I think whenever you’re challenged with a trivia question, and you happen to know it, you get a rush. It’s sort of like gambling.”
In the article, he said the benefits can also be similar to those of playing a video game. However, unlike gambling and even video games, Kounios says trivia is generally not a habit that’s a problem.
Podcasting has witnessed several successful game show formatted shows, such as Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!, Ask Me Another, Queen Of Hearts, and The Great American Pop Culture.
Now there is a new trivia game show podcast called Past Perfect.
The show is launching with a five-episode tournament style contest. Each episode covers a decade in history, beginning with the 1980s, traveling through the 2010s, and culminating in a grand finale covering “Trivia of the Century.”
The show tests knowledge across history and pop culture, with questions ranging from space exploration and Supreme Court rulings to NBA drafts and “Dirty Dancing.” There are even some memory-bending lyrical challenges that’ll have you asking, “how does that song go again?”
Plus, it wouldn’t be a trivia tournament without a
little drama, as contestants fight for bonus points and the chance to steal questions from their opponent. After battling through three rounds, players move on to a lightning round to finish the
game. The contestants are all fighting for the grand prize: a time capsule chock-full of novelty items from the last 40 years.
Expect appearances from Saidu Tejan-Thomas (Resistance, This
American Life), Emmanuel Dzotsi (Serial, Reply All, This American Life), Milly Tamarez (Betches Sup podcast, writer Reductress, Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me), Alise Morales (Betches Sup podcast,
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Late Night with Seth Meyers) and more.
I've listened to the first three episodes and love the show.
Let me tell you why.
First, the vibe of the show is fun and funny. It's not Jeopardy, and the goal, I believe, is to make it fun for the contestants on the show, and the listeners. If so, the podcast has more than accomplished that goal.
Second, the host of the show is funny, sunny, and as adorable as a bunny.
“Simone is the perfect host for this show!” says co-creator Zac Stuart-Pontier. “Past Perfect is a highly intelligent, heavily-researched game show and Simone brings a whip smart, zany, fun
Miss Frizzle energy. We can’t wait to hear what the world thinks of Past Perfect!”
As the former host of Not Past It, Simone Polanen has always had history and pop culture at the forefront of her work. Past Perfect lets her continue exploring those subjects through the fun
format of trivia. Prior to Past Perfect and Not Past It, Polanen produced for TV and podcasts like The Nod, StartUp, and Reply All. She writes a culture newsletter called HIGHBROW/LOWBROW, covering everything from reality TV and art house films to concertos.
In her bio, Polanen claims that, "She physically lives in Brooklyn but mentally lives in 2004." I have no idea what that means, but I'm officially stealing it for my bio, unless Polanen has it trademarked.
Simone Polanen is a terrific host for the show. Game show-type podcasts require a lot of up-tempo energy, snappy one-liners, and an "always be closing" attitude. Polanen makes wrong answers funny, and correct answers a cause for celebration.
I get the feeling she could answer all these questions correctly herself.
I recommend the show for trivia nerds who win at the local sports bar every Tuesday night. We've won several times at our Carolina Blue sports bar in Pitman, New Jersey. Our secret? We build our team with members from the Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z, so we're covered for any question on music, TV, movies, and cultural memes like bell-bottoms, mood rings, Tamagotchis, and belly chains.
The show is leading up to an ultimate winner after five episodes, but I'd love to see it become a permanent podcast for my weekly trivia fix. After listening to Past Perfect, I think you'll agree.
Finally, I discussed Past Perfect with Devin Andrade of Tink Media (a superb podcast marketing and PR firm) and tested her trivia bona fides with this question.
Me: What iconic line does Miranda Priestly say when dismissing Andy in The Devil Wears Prada?
Devin: "That's All," which is correct.
So, for those of you still reading this article, here are two more The Devil Wears Prada trivia questions.
1. What name did Meryl Streep call Anne Hathaway her first day at work? Her character name was Andy, or Andrea?
2. What did Emily Blunt's character say about her goal weight in The Devil Wears Prada?
While you're thinking, or having ChatGPT answer for you, remember to check out Past Perfect.
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