be on Jeopardy!

I think I’m going to audition for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire on Monday. They’re having tryouts at Jackson Rancheria Hotel & Casino, which isn’t far from Sacramento. I’m free that day, so I figure I might as well try!

I did a little Googling on the subject, and apparently, how it typically works (or has worked in the past, at least) is that they give you a short general knowledge test to see if you’re “smart” enough to do decently on the show should you get on it. If you pass the test (and they don’t tell you what score you need to pass), you can move on to the second part of the audition, in which they interview you to see if you’re someone they want on the show. If you “pass” both parts of the audition you’ll eventually get a call inviting you to be on the show.

Now, I’m pretty confident that I would pass any general knowledge test they might give, but I’m not sure about the interview… I think I have a lot of things working in my favor, but you never know. It’s hard to say what they are and aren’t looking for.

Maybe sharing a first name with the show’s host will help my cause!

George Bernard Shaw. Basically, plays and playwrights in general (except Shakespeare) are a major gap in my knowledge!

I really enjoy the theater, but I can’t afford to go very often, so maybe I’ll just start reading more plays.

I added two more days’ scores to the five I’d already posted, and upon averaging them, I learned that the average number of questions I get right (out of 30) is 15.7 in the Jeopardy round and 12.9 in Double Jeopardy. I don’t know how that compares to the people who actually get on Jeopardy, but it actually strikes me as pretty good (although definitely worthy of improvement)!

I also discovered another subject I don’t know much about: Watergate. And actually, my US history from 1950-1990 is pretty weak altogether, as it falls in that limbo of “modern, yet before I was born or became socially conscious” that history classes never really covered.

(I had to skip day 3, as Jeopardy was preempted by a debate between the mayoral candidates here in Sacramento.)

Jeopardy: 15/30
Double Jeopardy: 12/30
Final: Alas, I was in the kitchen and didn’t hear it.

Jeopardy: 19/30
Double Jeopardy: 6/30…!
Final (Ancient Times): Incorrect… the right idea occurred to me, but for some reason I dismissed it!

I’ve noticed another subject of which my knowledge is severely lacking: Colleges. As in their locations, mascots, famous coaches, etc. I guess I should watch more college sports? Ugh, maybe I’ll just hope that category never comes up if I get on the show someday.

Jeopardy: 16/30
Double Jeopardy: 19/30
Final (The Seven Wonders of the World): Incorrect…

My best so far, except for missing the final. I’ve started keeping a record of the subjects that I realize I know next to nothing about. (So far Africa, lakes, and theater/opera are the worst offenders. Sadly, I don’t think I’ve heard more than a few words about modern Africa in any class I’ve ever taken.) I’ll study each of them someday to fill in the gaps.

I did a bit better tonight, which makes sense seeing as I am a college student.

Jeopardy: 16/30
Double Jeopardy: 15/30
Final (American Thinkers): Incorrect! Totally thought it was Emerson.

I think I’ll keep doing this for a week or two to find out what my average is.

I’d like to know what percentage of the questions I tend to get right when watching at home, so on Friday night, I kept track of my correct guesses. I didn’t count the times when I knew I knew the question but couldn’t dredge it up fast enough. Here’s how I did.

Jeopardy: 14/30
Double Jeopardy: 7/30
Final (Ancient History): Correct

I don’t know yet if that was typical for me, since I’ve never kept track before. It may have been slightly low because my fiancee and stepson were being a little bit distracting at times. (Stepson, who is nine, was proud that he got one question right. He marked it down along with my scores!)

This is a very long-term goal of mine. I come from nerdy parents and have watched Jeopardy since I was a kid. I can remember not knowing any of the answers and wondering how anybody else could! Growing up and getting a college education, though, has made all the difference. I’m pretty sure now that in a few more years, I could hold my own on the show. I want to wait until my body of knowledge has filled out quite a bit more, though, so this is probably something I’ll save for my 30’s or 40’s.

In the meantime, I’m watching as often as possible, practicing, and learning….