Pop Culture Facts to Have Ready for Trivia Night
Updated: Jun. 23, 2022You may think your brain is already brimming with entertainment knowledge. Your friends call you a walking, talking International Movie Database. Still, if you want to bring your A-game to trivia night, here are some pop culture tidbits to keep in mind. Game on!
Quote query
In general, the quote round of most movie- and TV-themed trivia nights is where teams get stumped. If you’re headed to a trivia night that spotlights Friends, for example, you’ll want to brush up on some important quotes from key episodes and which “friend” said them. Sure, we can all remember who repeatedly yelled, “We were on a break!” (Ross). But, who said, “Three failed marriages, two illegitimate children… the personal ad writes itself”? Answer: Chandler. Check out these pop culture trivia questions people always get wrong.
Harry Potter
There are two types of people in this world: Potterheads and muggles. If you don’t know what that means, you need to brush up on some knowledge about the boy wizard, Hogwarts, and J.K. Rowling herself. Consider this tidbit that can trip up both fans and those unfamiliar with the books: While we in the United States consider the first Potter book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, according to Business Insider it originally debuted in the United Kingdom a year earlier as Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Don’t let that detail force your team to lose a point!
Mr. Rogers
Considering the success of the 2018 documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor? focusing on Fred Rogers’ esteemed life and career, the children’s television icon is more relevant than ever. But in 2014, Hello Giggles felt this fact would help folks at their next trivia night: Mr. Rogers was an ordained Presbyterian minister, which helped explain why he always offered wise words and kind thoughts. Before the next trivia night in your neighborhood, make sure you study up on these questions.
Disney
Considering how many characters and storylines exist in the Wonderful World of Disney, it can be a difficult job to keep up. Disney princesses can be their very own trivia category, but do you know which of these animated beauties is the only one to have her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? According to The Los Angeles Times that would be Snow White.
Football
If you were anywhere near a TV or radio in the 1980s, you likely remember that time the Chicago Bears were victorious during Super Bowl XX in 1985. But, can you recall the name of the rap song they performed during this glorious year? It could only be The Super Bowl Shuffle and the track was about as awesomely 1980s as anything can get.
The Office
When it comes to TV fandoms, there are few more loyal than those who live and breathe The Office, making their themed trivia nights pretty intense. One of our all-time favorite trivia questions about the show comes via BuzzFeed: How long had Jim and Pam been dating when he bought her engagement ring? Answer: A week!
Classic movies
If you’re taking a trip back to the origins of Hollywood with a classic movies trivia night, you might want to consider brushing up on your Marx Brothers’ knowledge. Do you know how many bros there actually were? There were five: Chico, Groucho, Harpo, Zeppo, and Gummo. These are our top 100 funniest movies of all times, including a Marx Brothers’ gem.
Game of Thrones
Between the dozens of characters and the many plot twists, it’s hard enough to follow the latest Game of Thrones storyline, forget remembering minute details. Try this one on for size: Which two GoT stars have matching tattoos featuring the date they landed their infamous roles? Answer: Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams (and that date, by the way, was July 8, 2009). Find out more about Lena Headey, the leading villain.
Seinfeld
For a program that described itself as “a show about nothing,” there’s certainly a lot to know about Seinfeld. On TV Guide‘s list of “Nearly Impossible Seinfeld Questions,” they ask what was Kramer’s name in the pilot episode? We can hardly believe he was ever known by anything else, but in that premiere, he was referred to as Kessler. They also note that in the final episode it’s mentioned that Kramer’s name was incorrectly listed in the building as Kessler. Ah-ha!
Sports
If you aren’t a big sports fan, just about any trivia question can stump you. But even die-hard fans may have trouble answering one of the questions Bleacher Report proposed to stump your pals, so keep this one in your back pocket: Who was the first president to throw the ceremonial first pitch at a baseball game? William Howard Taft. Don’t just dazzle friends with your sports trivia, try these sports jokes out on them, too.
Board games
We’ve grown up on games like Monopoly, Life, and Clue, but there’s some interesting trivia that lurks behind those iconic boards. If you’re a Scrabble aficionado, you might be interested in this little fact: The highest scoring word you can use is “muzjiks,” which means Russian peasant. Not only could that be a useful piece of a trivia, but a handy word to know the next time you face a Scrabble challenge! Here are 15 insane facts about your favorite games to load up on even more knowledge.
Classic television
These days you can binge current shows to your heart’s content, picking up details as you watch. But a true TV trivia aficionado remembers a lot about the classics, like M*A*S*H. Remember this interesting factoid from IMDB: The only two main cast members to have served in the U.S. Army in South Korea were Alan Alda and Jamie Farr.
Awesomely ’80s
You’d be hard-pressed to find a kid in the 1980s who didn’t want a Cabbage Patch Kid of their very own. The coveted toys were in such high demand that parents often duked it out in stores for the latest deliveries. But what were the dolls originally called? Little People. And according to CNN, Xavier Roberts (whose named graced the bottom of every doll) was an art student when he created the original. Next, see if you can answer these trivia questions only geniuses can get right.
