Skip to main content

'University Challenged: Episode Twenty-Seven (20.03.17)


Unfortunately, I’ve missed the last few episodes of University Challenge due to a hectic schedule (correction: I just happened to have a string of gigs on Mondays), so in many ways, I feel like I’ve fallen out of the loop.

The biggest disaster of all thanks to this was missing an extra performance from this year’s internet sensation, the truly wonderful Monkman. The chap is as puzzlement even to himself, though he should at least rest assured that he’s the epitome of the sort of person you expect to see on television’s most socially awkward quiz show; the man expels so much nervous energy for me to worry he will burst.

Still, what we lost from no Monkman was counteracted nicely by the presence of Goldman, who’s like a robot when it comes to answering questions, while seemingly deriving no pleasure from it. His joyless tone was my main focus on Twitter tonight, though my comments weren’t appreciated by everyone; it’s not like I sought him out personally and emailed him what I felt; some people take things to seriously.

There's nothing quite like a jerk period.

See below for tonight’s as-it-happens Twitter rundown of the show.


8:03pm: No Monkman. Pointless.

8:04pm: Freddie Potts and his Lego hair.

8:04pm: Pope thinks he's ruddy Lovejoy.

8:05pm: Goldman answers each question without an ounce of warmth or enjoyment.

8:06pm: The pattern on Goldman's shirt came about thanks to an unfortunate incident with a biro.

8:09pm: Imagine Goldman imparting bad news: "Your wife has died". Barren.

8:10pm: A hug from Goldman would be functional yet emotionless.

8:11pm: Goldman pulls off the legs of insects.

8:14pm: I'm taking on "Corpus Christi Venkatesh" as a celebratory exclamation.

8:15pm: Fleet looks like Angelos Epithemiou post-shave.

8:16pm: Pope would straddle a chair whilst leading a meeting.

8:17pm: Johnson wouldn't look out of place playing bass in Kenickie.

8:17pm: Did Paxman just say "Farrrk"?

8:18pm: Baliol's Potts' hair doubles as a cycle helmet.

8:19pm: I subscribe to a magazine called Repeated Cleavage.

8:20pm: Venkatesh is as likeable as Goldman isn't.

8:22pm: Goldman traps animals, slaughters and then performs taxidermy on them.

8:24pm: Pope listens to Robert Palmer at full pelt.

8:26pm: Johnson seems angered by his own knowledge.

8:28pm: Potts looks like a pre-grey Father Ted.

8:29pm: Vienna means nothing to me.
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Not The Bayeux One.

The Carole King album Tapestry has been my 'getting-ready-in-the-morning' soundtrack for the past few weeks.  It's been a favourite album ever since I was a student, which makes for a pleasantly gentle way to usher in the start of a day. I've always been a fan of a well-crafted song, which is something of a Carole King hallmark, ever since she started writing with her first husband in the early Sixties. Tapestry may be an unimaginative choice for a favourite LP, as it suggests I haven't delved that far into her career, but it's still an undoubted classic; anything with '(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman', 'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?' and 'You've Got A Friend' on it can't really fail; if nothing else, it proves she likes writing songs with long titles.  Next month, she's set to perform the album live in its entirety for the first time at a gig in Hyde Park, which I would have loved to have gone to, if it weren...
Read more

Shakerpuppetmaker.

Have Parker from Thunderbirds and Noel Gallagher ever been seen in the same room? The resemblance is uncanny. So much so, I think something’s afoot. If my suspicions are correct, I've stumbled across a secret that will blow the music and puppet industry wide apart. In the mid-60s / mid-90s at least. It doesn’t take long to see the signposts. There’s the similarity between the name of Oasis’ first single, Supersonic, and Supermarianation, Gerry Anderson’s puppetry technique. The Gallagher brothers would often wear Parkas . Live Forever was clearly a reference to Captain Scarlet and Standing on the Shoulder of Giants to the size difference between Noel and his bandmates. The more you think about it, the more brazen it gets. It’s fishier than Area 51, Paul is Dead and JFK's assassination put together. The only glitch to the theory is scale . According to Wikipedia, Anderson’s marionettes were 1’10” and Gallagher is 5’8”. How does he maintain an illusion of avera...
Read more

'Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream..."

While I’ve been practising meditation for quite some time now, I’ve recently taken to using the mindfulness app 'Headspace' . If you’ve never meditated before, or you’re an old hand at it, it’s a great resource, offering daily ten-minute guided meditations that create a sense of progress, rather than stagnating and going through the same process every day. Until I started using the app, I’d often listen to a handful of audio guided meditations I have on my phone in case of a brain emergency. If you see me with my eyes closed and my earphones in on public transport, I’m probably doing this (unless I’m sleeping and using this blog as an elaborate alibi). While the tracks on my phone are great, they can get a little repetitive as I become too familiar with them and start to anticipate everything the person on the recording will say. This is where Headspace is great, as it offers you a daily course with a different focus each day, as well as pl...
Read more