In the 1992 film, White Men Can’t Jump, Rosie Perez’s character Gloria was constantly studying random facts and odd trivia, waiting for her chance to show it off as a contestant on Jeopardy. Of course, when she finally gets on the show the first round includes subjects she has crammed for: medicine, superstitions, natural disasters, and her dream category “Foods That Start With The Letter Q.”
(Spoilers on a 23-year old film: She wins. Also, the white man CAN jump!)
Question: Foods that start with the letter Q
As a Last Call Trivia contestant, you go through more categories in one night than the average Jeopardy! contestant will see in their entire career. Memorizing facts from flashcards, Wikipedia lists, and a 20 volume set of the Encyclopedia Britannica will help, but remember – it’s dangerous to go alone!
Since Last Call Trivia is in bars, you could take a page out of the state-dependent memory playbook and do all your studying in bars, but watch your intake. If you don’t, you could be subject to some interesting side effects.
So, if you can’t know it all, what CAN you do to get an edge?
Recruit
You need to assemble a team of specialists whose knowledge complements your own. If you can answer questions on college football and Tony award-winning actors in musicals in your sleep, make sure you make friends with folks who can help with math/science, old English literature, and geography. Take the time to make friends with that gal in the next cubicle who mutters odd facts under her breath during department meetings.
Don’t settle. You may be the leader, and you’ve found your kung-fu master, your demolitions expert, and your French one, if you can’t locate the deadliest woman in the world with a knife you may not make it to Ludimentis. Cover all your bases.
This could be your path to victory!