JAQR - April 30, 2023
Christo & Jeanne-Claude, Hilary Mantel, Magnum, P.I., The Jazz Singer, Wide Sargasso Sea, and more...
Thank you for reading another issue of the Jeopardy Answer & Question Recap, or JAQR [“jacker”] for short. This recap includes two clues from each episode of Jeopardy! between Monday 4/24 - Friday 4/28. The recap will include some Daily Doubles, Final Jeopardys, and Triple Stumpers. The first half of the recap will include just the clues so you can quiz yourself if you want. The second half will give you some (hopefully) interesting information about the clues and/or some related info.
DAILY DOUBLE #1
WHEREFORE ART, THOU
The installation of 7,503 gates, each 16 feet tall & financed by Christo & Jeanne-Claude for this NYC area, was completed in 2005
DAILY DOUBLE #2
READING MUSIC
Chapters in "Dancing with Myself" by this ever-sneering singer include "Drunken, Stupid, & Naked"
DAILY DOUBLE #3
HISTORICAL POTPOURRI
He peaked in power as Lord Privy Seal in 1536, fell from power, was executed & had his reputation revived by the late Hilary Mantel
DAILY DOUBLE #4
SPORTS GOATs
He was born March 30, 1970, in a Virginia stable
DAILY DOUBLE #5
A REAL BODY BUSY
Most of your digestion doesn't take place in the stomach but rather in this organ that includes the ileum
FINAL JEOPARDY #1
TV HISTORY
The 1980s "Magnum, P.I." used a soundstage of this long-running drama that had just ended, & even referred to its lead character
FINAL JEOPARDY #2
HOLLYWOOD HISTORY
Last name of 3 men who missed the 1927 premiere of "The Jazz Singer" because a 4th of that name had died hours before
FINAL JEOPARDY #3
HISTORIC FIGURES
Dante gives him, born to a Kurdish family in the 12th century, a place of honor in limbo along with the war heroes of Rome & Troy
TRIPLE STUMPER #1
BEATLES "S"ONGS
"Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about"
TRIPLE STUMPER #2
RECENT LITERARY BIOGRAPHY
"I Used to Live Here Once" is about this author, who like the heroine of her "Wide Sargasso Sea" had Caribbean roots
DAILY DOUBLE #1
WHEREFORE ART, THOU
The installation of 7,503 gates, each 16 feet tall & financed by Christo & Jeanne-Claude for this NYC area, was completed in 2005
***CENTRAL PARK***
Bulgarian-born Christo and his wife, Casablanca-born Jeanne-Claude, were known for their large outdoor sculptures, many of which were covered in fabrics. Their work The Gates, which stretched 23 miles in Central Park, featured thousands of 16-foot-high gates decorated with saffron-colored cloth. Another of their famous works involved wrapping the Reichstag building (the seat of the Bundestag, or German parliament) in silver fabric in 1995, pictured below. Their design for the wrapping of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris in a silver-blue fabric was completed in 2021, even after Christo’s death in 2020 (and Jeanne-Claude’s in 2009).
Other works by Christo and Jeanne-Claude include:
Running Fence (1976) - 24-mile-long and 18-feet-high white fabric “fence” along the hills of Sonoma and Marin Counties near San Francisco
Surrounded Islands (1983) - eleven islands in Biscayne Bay (near Miami) were surrounded with bright pink fabric
The Pont Neuf Wrapped (1985) - the oldest existing bridge (whose name somewhat ironically means “New Bridge”) across the Seine River was covered in golden beige fabric
DAILY DOUBLE #2
READING MUSIC
Chapters in "Dancing with Myself" by this ever-sneering singer include "Drunken, Stupid, & Naked"
***BILLY IDOL***
British singer Billy Idol (born William Broad), is known for his sneer and hair. He was part of the “Second British Invasion,” which also included the bands Duran Duran and The Human League. He was lead singer of the punk rock band Generation X, but left the group in 1981 to go solo. That same year, he released a popular cover of the song "Mony Mony," originally by Tommy James and the Shondells. Billy Idol’s eponymous studio album, released in 1982, included the songs “White Wedding" (which “it’s a nice day for”) and "Dancing with Myself" (which was inspired by seeing people in a Japanese discotheque dancing to their own reflections in a mirror). His second album, Rebel Yell, was released the following year, and is named for a brand of whisky, which itself is named for the Confederate battle cry. The album includes the title song (whose lyrics include “in the midnight hour she cried more, more, more, more”) and “Eyes Without a Face.” His most recent top ten hit in the U.S. is the 1990 song “Cradle of Love.” The music video for that song was directed by David Fincher and features Idol only from the waist up due to injuries suffered in a motorcycle crash. That accident prevented him from playing the shapeshifting T-1000 in the 1991 movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
DAILY DOUBLE #3
HISTORICAL POTPOURRI
He peaked in power as Lord Privy Seal in 1536, fell from power, was executed & had his reputation revived by the late Hilary Mantel
***THOMAS CROMWELL***
Thomas Cromwell (1485-1540) was an adviser to English king Henry VIII. Cromwell was the first layman to hold the office of Lord Privy Seal. The holder of that position was the keeper of the privy seal (or private seal), which was the monarch’s personal seal used for authenticating documents. Cromwell was a proponent of the English Reformation and helped the king get an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon (so that he could marry Anne Boleyn). Later on, Cromwell urged Henry VIII to marry Anne of Cleves (his fourth wife) for diplomatic reasons. Henry VIII hated her, and they divorced on July 12, 1540. Cromwell was beheaded 16 days later, the same day Henry VIII married his fifth wife, Catherine Howard.
Thomas Cromwell is the subject of a trilogy of historical novels by English writer Hilary Mantel (1952-2022). The trilogy includes Wolf Hall (2009), Bring Up the Bodies (2012), and The Mirror & the Light (2020). The first two books in the trilogy won the Booker Prize. The novel Wolf Hall shares its name with the residence of Jane Seymour's family. Wolf Hall begins with the sentence “So now get up,” which is spoken to a young Cromwell by his abusive father, who had just beaten him. Wolf Hall was adapted into a 2015 limited series that starred Mark Rylance as Cromwell and Damian Lewis as Henry VIII, who are seen below.
DAILY DOUBLE #4
SPORTS GOATs
He was born March 30, 1970, in a Virginia stable
***SECRETARIAT***
Secretariat won the 1973 Triple Crown. He won the Kentucky Derby (1 1⁄4 miles) with a record-setting time of 1 minute, 59.4 seconds, despite being in last place at one point during the race. Secretariat also set a record at the Preakness Stakes (1 3⁄16 miles), winning with a time of 1 minute, 53 seconds, despite once again being in last place at one point. The same three horses (Secretariat, Sham, and Our Native) finished first, second, and third at both races, for the first time ever. Secretariat also won the Belmont Stakes (1 1⁄2 miles) with a record-setting time of 2 minutes, 24 seconds. The horse also set the Belmont record for largest margin of victory (31 lengths), pictured below. Secretariat’s primary jockey was Ron Turcotte, who was later paralyzed from the waist down following a horse racing accident at Belmont in 1978. Secretariat names a 2010 movie that starred Diane Lane as Secretariat's owner Penny Chenery, and John Malkovich as Secretariat's trainer Lucien Laurin. Only 13 horses have won the Triple Crown. The most recent include Seattle Slew (1977), Affirmed (1978), American Pharoah [sic] (2015), and Justify (2018).
The Triple Crown is a series of races for three-year-old horses that includes:
The Kentucky Derby - held at Churchill Downs in Louisville; usually on the first Saturday in May; nicknamed "The Run for the Roses"
The Preakness Stakes - held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore; usually on the third Saturday in May; nicknamed "The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans"
The Belmont Stakes - held at Belmont Park in Elmont (Queens) in New York; usually on the first or second Saturday in June; nicknamed "The Run for the Carnations"
DAILY DOUBLE #5
A REAL BODY BUSY
Most of your digestion doesn't take place in the stomach but rather in this organ that includes the ileum
***SMALL INTESTINE***
The small intestine is a long (~22 feet) and narrow tube that connects the stomach to the large intestine. Along with digestion, the small intestine is the primary site of food absorption as well. The small intestine contains projections called villi that help with food absorption. The small intestine is held in place by a double layer of peritoneum called the mesentery. The three main parts of the small intestine are the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. The small intestine (specifically the duodenum) is protected from the stomach’s acidic gastric juices by Brunner’s glands, which secrete alkaline fluids. Cholera is an infection of the small intestine. In celiac disease, autoantibodies (antibodies made against substances formed by a person's own body) damage the small intestine's mucosal lining.
FINAL JEOPARDY #1
TV HISTORY
The 1980s "Magnum, P.I." used a soundstage of this long-running drama that had just ended, & even referred to its lead character
***HAWAII FIVE-O***
Hawaii Five-O was a police procedural that aired on CBS from 1968-1980. The show’s theme song was recorded by the surf band The Ventures (heard below), whose other popular instrumental songs include “Walk, Don’t Run.” The show was rebooted in 2010 and ran until 2020. The title of the original show ends with the letter “O,” but the reboot’s title ends with the number “0.” The title refers to Hawaii’s entry into the Union as the 50th state. The lead detective on both shows was Steve McGarrett, who was played by Jack Lord in the original, and by Australian actor Alex O'Loughlin in the reboot. Many episodes of the shows ended with McGarrett's catchphrase "Book 'em, Danno," which was spoken to Danny "Danno" Williams. He was played by James MacArthur in the original and by former rapper Scott Caan (son of James Caan) in the reboot. Steve McGarrett’s arch nemesis on both shows was named Wo Fat. The Final Jeopardy clue is pretty similar to a 2011 Daily Double: “This '80s detective show used the same production facilities in Hawaii that were used for the old Hawaii Five-O."
Magnum, P.I. (1980-1988) was a crime drama that also aired on CBS and was set in Hawaii. The show’s theme song was composed by Mike Post, who also composed the themes for The A-Team, Hill Street Blues, and Law & Order. The was co-created by Donald P. Bellisario, who has also created Quantum Leap, JAG, and NCIS. The show starred the mustachioed actor Tom Selleck as the title private investigator, who often drives a red Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole (partly named for its four valves per cylinder). Thomas Magnum was a Detroit Tigers fan who lived in the guest house of the beachfront estate Robin's Nest, owned by Robin Masters (voiced by Orson Welles). The caretaker of Robin's Nest is Jonathan Higgins, played by John Hillerman, who has two Dobermans named Zeus and Apollo. A remake of the show premiered on CBS in 2018 and is still airing new episodes (albeit on NBC since 2022). The remake stars Jay Hernandez. The caretaker in the reboot is named Juliet Higgins, and is played by Perdita Weeks. The show takes place in the same fictional universe (the Lenkov-verse) as two other recent reboots: Hawaii Five-0 and MacGyver. Peter Lenkov was the showrunner for all three shows, but was fired in 2020 due to creating a toxic workplace environment.
FINAL JEOPARDY #2
HOLLYWOOD HISTORY
Last name of 3 men who missed the 1927 premiere of "The Jazz Singer" because a 4th of that name had died hours before
***WARNER***
The film studio Warner Brothers was founded in 1923 by four brothers: Harry, Albert, Samuel, and Jack. Warner Brothers was a member of the original "Big Five" (along with Paramount, RKO, MGM, and 20th Century Fox), and is also a current member of the "Big Five" (along with Paramount, Universal, Disney, and Columbia). The studio bought a sound-on-disc system called Vitaphone. It was used in the studio's 1927 movie The Jazz Singer, which is considered the first “talkie.” The movie’s title character was played by Al Jolson, who earlier in the decade performed the campaign song “Harding, You’re the Man for Us.” The movie was based on a short story titled “The Day of Atonement.” In the movie, the 13-year-old Jewish cantor Jakie Rabinowitz runs away from home after his father beats him for singing in a saloon. Many years later, he is a talented jazz singer who performs in blackface. He skips opening night of his new Broadway show April Follies in order to sing the Kol Nidre at a synagogue in place of his ill father. The movie is remembered for its line “Wait a minute, wait a minute, you ain't heard nothing yet!" (heard below). The movie was remade in 1980 and starred Neil Diamond. The remake was nominated for several Razzies, but did include the popular songs “Love on the Rocks” and “America.”
FINAL JEOPARDY #3
HISTORIC FIGURES
Dante gives him, born to a Kurdish family in the 12th century, a place of honor in limbo along with the war heroes of Rome & Troy
***SALADIN***
Saladin (or Salah al-Din) (1137-1193) was the chivalrous founder of the Ayyūbid dynasty, which ruled over Egypt, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen in the 12th and 13th centuries. The dynasty was named for Saladin's father, Ayyūb. Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides, who wrote The Guide for the Perplexed, served as his physician. Saladin led the Ayyūbid dynasty to victory over the Crusader states led by the King of Jerusalem, Guy of Lusignan [loo-seen-yahn], at the 1187 Battle of Hattin [hah-TEEN], which allowed him to capture Jerusalem. That battle is also known as the Battle of the Horns of Hattin due to being fought at an extinct volcano with twin peaks. At the battle, the forces of Saladin captured a piece of the True Cross, a Christian relic.
Two years later, the Third Crusade began. Crusader forces were led by English king Richard the Lionheart, French king Philip Augustus, and Holy Roman emperor Frederick Barbarossa, the last of whom drowned on the way. Richard led the Crusaders to victory over Saladin at the Battle of Arsuf. Overall, the Crusaders were able to recapture some territory, including Acre [ock-ray], but not Jerusalem. The Third Crusade was ended by the Treaty of Jaffa [YAH-fah], which allowed Christian pilgrims free access to places in the Holy Land. One year later, Saladin died. His mausoleum and tomb are in Damascus. The flag of Egypt includes the eagle of Saladin in the center.
TRIPLE STUMPER #1
BEATLES "S"ONGS
"Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about"
***STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER***
The psychedelic song “Strawberry Fields Forever” by the Beatles was released as a double A-side single with "Penny Lane" in 1967. The song was written by John Lennon, who named it for a Salvation Army children's home in Liverpool where he played as a child. The song sounds a bit eerie because two different takes (in different tempos and musical keys) were combined. The song is the namesake of an area in Central Park in New York City that is dedicated to John Lennon, who was murdered by Mark David Chapman in 1980. Two women listen to “Strawberry Fields Forever” in the experimental 1967 film Wavelength, which was directed by Canadian artist Michael Snow. The electronic music duo Candy Flip recorded a 1990 cover of the song. The lyrics to the song include:
Let me take you down
'Cause I'm going to strawberry fields
Nothing is real
And nothing to get hung about
Strawberry fields forever
TRIPLE STUMPER #2
RECENT LITERARY BIOGRAPHY
"I Used to Live Here Once" is about this author, who like the heroine of her "Wide Sargasso Sea" had Caribbean roots
***JEAN RHYS***
Jean Rhys [REESE] (1890-1979) is the pen name of Ella Gwendolen Rees Williams, who was born in Roseau, the current capital of Dominica. She was mentored by the much older author Ford Madox Ford, who had an affair with her. Rhys wrote the 1966 novel Wide Sargasso Sea, a prequel to Charlotte Brontë’s novel Jane Eyre. The novel centers on Antoinette Cosway, who is called Bertha and is confined to the attic by her husband Mr. Rochester. The book of feminist literary criticism The Madwoman in the Attic by Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar is named for the character. The novel Wide Sargasso Sea is named for the Sargasso Sea, which itself is named for a type of brown seaweed. The sea is unique for having no land borders. It’s surrounded by four ocean currents: the Gulf Stream, North Atlantic Current, Canary Current, and North Equatorial Current.
