QUIZIGNIA’21
QUIZ SOCIETY SRCC
WHAT’S POPPIN
POP CULTURE QUIZ
1
X is an Indian music trio whose debut track was prepared for a
movie which was never released, due to the sudden death of the
director - later, the track (and the entire album) was completed and
released independently.
The trio claims that they came up with the composition of the title
track of an Indian coming-of-age cult classic - while brushing their
teeth.
One of the members received Padma Shri in 2019.
Name the trio X.
Shankar Ehsaan Loy
2
X is a meme that has its feet in two worlds. Both worlds have
famous orchestral music, massive following among children, and
their spin-offs are set to release in the coming months. The
protagonist of one of worlds is emblematic of the theme of ‘being
alive’, while the other world ends with death - a fact not
commonly known, curiously enough.
Identify X .
The “Tom chasing Harry and Ron” meme; two
worlds - Harry Potter, Tom and Jerry
3
Identify the person batting.
Dhyan Chand
4
Pogchamp was one of the oldest and most popular emotes on live –
streaming platform Twitch and was used by viewers to express
excitement, joy or shock.
It has multiple variants and has been a big part of Twitch culture, so
much so that Chess.com named its Twitch chess tournament,
“Pogchamps”.
However, On January 6, 2021, the original Pogchamp emote was
removed from Twitch. Twitch stated “.....we can't in good conscience
continue to enable use of the image (original Pogchamp emote).”
Why did Twitch remove the emote?
It was removed because the guy who was the face of
the emote, Ryan Gutierrez, was encouraging further
violence on the US Capitol.
5
X is a DreamWorks movie, based on an eponymous 1990 book for children
(“X!”). X went through a plethora of changes to become what it was when it was
released in 2001. Before its release, DreamWorks considered it a low-budget
project to which animators were banished once they failed on other projects. “It
was known as the Gulag,” said an animator at DreamWorks.
“If you failed on ‘Prince of Egypt’, you were sent to the dungeons to work on ‘X’
” Employees would refer to it as ‘being X-ed’. (The name X with the suffix ed)
Surprisingly, X turned out to be an Oscar winning movie and became a multi-
billion dollar franchise.
Identify X .
Shrek
6
X: A Murder Mystery, released in 1997, was an eponymous video game
based on a particularly famous work. The player has the same primary
objective, albeit with the secondary objective of reducing unnecessary
deaths by means such as 'actually killing rats' (in a particular segment).
An interesting choice presented to the player is between being (or not)
part of the actual action - they may ennoble their mind by analysing the
original work, or chance misfortune by taking up arms against the
antagonist.
Identify X.
X-Hamlet
The two modes of the game are 'To Be' (action) or 'Not To
Be' (studying the text). 'Killing rats', of course, refers to the
infamous slaying of an eavesdropping Polonius who
Hamlet mistakes for Claudius.
7
X hugely impacted the way people around the world think of X’s species in
general, perpetuating the myth that _____ is loved by all of X’s kind, whereas
_____ actually carry very little nutritional value to members of X’s species.
The funniest part is that the original joke was a reference to the Clark Gable
film, “It Happened One Night”, where he is seen munching on a _____ - it
had nothing to do with X, or others like X. The ‘Clark Gable’ reference would
have been obvious to people in the 1940s, but was forgotten over time, thus
concretising as the myth that we now consider common knowledge.
By the way - X’s next movie will be coming out this year.
Identify X and the myth.
X - Bugs Bunny; “rabbits love carrots”
8
A particular advertisement by company X, aimed against another company,
Y, was shown during the screening of a very famous horror movie. Y
happens to share its name with the author of the book that inspired the
movie.
The advertisement ended with a tagline that, while incorporating the name
of the movie, has now become synonymous with X.
Identify X and the phrase.
"I'm loving IT"; Burger King, McDonald's
9
X has always been the neglected counterpart of Y. The latter of the two
paintings is recognised as one of the best examples of _______ art
(pejoratively coined by 19th century critics, describing the nature of
brushstrokes used), even though chronologically, Y came after X - almost
as a visual 'counterpoint' to it.
Various historians have commented that Y exhibits the rich lolling about
on the eponymous riverine island - in shade, lifeless and decadent - while
X shows the working class enjoying their day of respite on the sunny,
grassy knoll, on the other side of the river. Yet, the painter never
expressly attached any such overtly political connotations to his work.
Identify X.
X - Bathers at Asnières, by George Seurat (counterpoint to the more
famous A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatté); both are
examples of pointillist art (using dots instead of strokes).
10
Translators of a singularly famous work ran into a very hairy problem -
that of coming up with an anagrammatic name for a particular character,
in all languages, given how crucial this was to the plot. Some of the ones
they came up with, include -
● Marten Asmodom Vilijn
● _ _ _ Vorlost R_____ (different blank)
● _ _ _ Dredolo Venster
● _ _ _ Elvis Jedusor
● _ _ _ Yarvolod Redl
● _ _ _ Rowle Denem
(non-exhaustive, though representative list; all blanks are the same
word, except the continuous one)
Find the logic .
The ‘work’ is Harry Potter (specifically, The Chamber of Secrets). The
name is Tom Marvolo Riddle, which had to be an anagram for “I am Lord
Voldemort”.
11
Spotting fake X has always been a challenge. This is especially
important, given the jaw-dropping price tags and cultural importance of
various pieces of X. In the late 2000’s, a certain someone thought of a
near-foolproof technique (which they unsuccessfully tried to patent in
2007) to distinguish between genuine and forged X, particularly from the
20th and late 19th centuries.
While most other methods are considered too invasive, inconclusive or
potentially damaging, this technique relies on the absolute ubiquity of a
unique chemical property (‘unique’ insofar as it is only observed post
mid-20th century) in the common equipment used to make X.
What’s the technique?
X - Art; checking for radioactive isotopes in paint, particularly strontium-
90 and caesium-137. After 1945 (the year of the Trinity Test), there was
a general rise in the level of radioactive isotopes in the atmosphere,
which seeped into the soil and were absorbed by all plants, including that
of flax; this gives us linseed, which is often used as a bonding agent in
paints.
12
William Perry ____, an American adventurer, wrote a series of articles
for The Cleveland Leader, using the letters he had sent home while
travelling. These articles led a French novelist to model the hero of one
of his famous works, X, on Perry.
The protagonist’s first name was slightly modified in the translations
(though the surname was identical to the blank), which later inspired the
name of another protagonist, albeit that of an American animated series,
Y, that we have all seen, about yet another adventurous duo.
Identify X (the book) and Y (the animated series).
Fogg; X - Phineas and Ferb; Y - Around The World in Eighty Days
13
This dystopian novel, published in 1985, has been banned in many
schools over the years for being “violently graphic and morally corrupt”.
The book selectively borrows from the historical model of the Puritan
forefathers of America.
Potently feministic, its iconography has been borrowed by protesters in
Ireland, UK, USA and Argentina agitating against issues as diverse as
misogyny, a ban on abortions, or Donald Trump’s policies. This often
manifests as in women dressed in an emblematic attire mentioned in the
book.
Identify the book.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
14
From 1952 to 1957, the CIA’s “Aedinosaur” operation launched balloons
over West Germany that dropped copies of the book X. X was banned in
the Soviet Union (until the late 1980s), Cuba, North Korea, the UAE and
some African countries.
The book inspired Pink Floyd to release an album, which spoke of the
corruption and social injustice prevalent in 1970s Britain, with the
characters from the book used to symbolize aristocracy, military and the
working classes in the lyrics.
Identify X .
X - Animal Farm
15
Symptoms of X-Y disorder include -
● Vocal fatigue
● Unnaturally deep, rough or husky voice
● Hoarseness
● Sore larynx (tightness or muscle aches in the throat)
● Sudden breaks or fading of the voice
● Feeling the need to clear the throat often
Individuals who suffer from this disorder tend to speak below their normal vocal
range, usually due to the idea that a deep voice lends natural authority and élan -
a notion popularised by the alliteratively-named, famous duo of X and Y, who lend
their names to the disorder. Apocryphally, Y is said to originally have had a high,
nasal voice, that she had to change given the public nature of her employment.
X and Y?
As Y would put it - "Just put your minds together, and think."
X - (Humphrey) Bogart ; Y - (Lauren) Bacall
The Bogart-Bacall Syndrome
Q16.
Inexhaustive list.
Connect -
Directors who starred in their own films.Jackie Chan
- Police Story 2 Taika Waititi - Thor: Ragnarok
Tommy Wiseau - The Room
Gurmeet Ram Rahim - The MSG
17
Given below is a poster of an album, Y, by The Backstreet Boys. It is a
promotional shot with different-hued lines projected all over, that depict X -
possibly a tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that X was an old
technique used to sequence Y, just like the (erstwhile boy-, now) man-
band.
Identify Y.
X - Sanger sequencing; Y - DNA
18
X has received a National Award and featured in the Forbes India
Celebrity 100 list. X has been actively working to raise awareness about
topics such as breast cancer and LGBT rights. X also worked as an
assistant director with Sanjay Leela Bhansali before becoming an actor.
Y is a British rock band formed in 1996. Its first song was based on
toiletry and was taken as a joke by the public. They later went on to win
7 Grammy Awards.
X is the only individual from India to have featured in a song by Y.
Identify X and Y .
X - Sonam K. Ahuja
Y - Coldplay
19
A world famous fashion brand launched the world’s first capacitive touch-
screen phone. It was announced about a month before the iPhone and it
won at Germany’s prestigious iF Design Awards, in September 2006.
The phone seemed somewhat dark, with the minimalist and
monochrome look which was meant to reflect the “_____“ experience.
Identify the brand.
Prada
20
X was a song released by a punk rock band in 1977 during Queen
Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee. The lyrics as well as the cover were
controversial at the time and BBC imposed a total ban on its airing. The
original title of the song was “No Future” and the lyrics were a general
expression of the band’s view of monarchy. The song peaked at number
2 on the official UK Singles Chart, though there have been persistent
rumours that it was kept off number 1 because it was felt that it might
cause offence. The song was sampled by Madonna in her song “Dress
you up” on her 2009 “Sticky & Sweet” tour.
Identify X.
‘God Save the Queen’ by Sex Pistols
21
Jacques Bermon Webster II is an American rapper, singer,
songwriter, and record producer. Like any other rapper, he
collaborates with sneaker or fashion brands, though admittedly
more interesting ones, such as having a concert in Fortnite, a
limited edition Nerf gun and a limited edition Reese's Puffs cereal.
In September last year, he collaborated with a famous fast food
chain, which started a peculiar trend wherein people would play 1-
2 seconds of one of his songs when asked what they would like
to order.
What is Jacques Bermon Webster II's stage name and the fast
food chain he collaborated with?
Travis Scott and McDonald’s
22
X is an American animated television series, the popularity of
which made it a media franchise. The theme song of the show
is actually a very popular marching song used in the Russian
military. An animated short, Y, created in 2003-2004 as a two-
season series on VH1 and MTV2 called ‘ILL-ustrated’, was a not
too subtle reimagining of X. The shorts were often referred to as
a stoner comedy. They never ran on television due to the drug
references, with characters either shaped like drugs or like
paraphernalia related to drugs. But it can still be found on
youtube.
Identify the original series X and the parody series Y.
X - SpongeBob SquarePants
Y - SpongeBong HempPants
23
Now known as X, it is a widely loved film in India. The
producers of this movie wanted Indian involvement and co-
production for more authenticity, but the Indian government
prohibited them from doing so.
For political reasons, this movie could not be released in India.
The film skipped Indian cinemas but made its way globally under
the title ‘The Warrior Prince’. Had it been released as intended,
it would have been considered a landmark in this particular
genre.
Name the famous story depicted in this movie.
Ramayan
Movie - Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama
(the Japanese anime rendition)
24
X is a world famous packaged delicacy, having a sugary filling
sealed inside two layers of thin, rectangular pastry crust. A study
conducted in 1994 concluded that if left in the toaster for too long,
X could produce flames upto 1.5 ft high.
During one of its ‘democracy-saving’ missions in the 1980’s, the
US military air dropped 2.4 million X.
Identify X.
Pop Tart
25
The French monarchs, starting from Henry IV till Louis XV, had
a formal tradition of maintaining a “maîtresse-en-titre”, i.e. a royal
mistress, who received various material privileges and a prominent
position at court. One such individual was Madame de ____________
(seen in the image), an 18th century socialite, who was noted for her
patronage of Late Baroque art and architecture. She lent her name to
a practice, not necessarily ‘art’, that percolated through the ages,
embedding itself in modern pop culture - something that Dev Anand,
Johnny Bravo, James Dean and Rick Astley (in his heyday) could’ve
thanked her for. As in many cases, it’s a misnomer, as the
trend/practice in question pre-dates her.
FITB (which is now the name of the 'practice')
Madame de Pompadour - the eponymous haircut, variously
known as the quiff, ducktail, jelly roll or ‘Elvis cut’.
26
X was a unit of the US Air Force set up during World War II - truly, the first
of its kind. Despite being relatively unknown to most, their contribution to
every theatre of war was immense. The ambit of their security clearance was
jarringly wide - they were among the first to acquire highly-classified, detailed
plans for the air-bombardment of the Japanese coast, as well as those for
the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
They were the first unit to handle the video records of Buchenwald
Concentration Camp being freed by the Allies, and that of Nazi leaders (like
Hermann Goring) being debriefed in Allied custody, on V-J day.
With strength of just over 1000, this unit still managed to have a
representative in almost every combat situation, on every plane that went up
in the air, from reconnaissance to clean-up - despite the fact that they were
not a combat or espionage unit .
What was so special about the composition of this unit, that closely ties in
with their purpose?
The First Motion Picture Unit of the US Air Force.
They were entirely comprised of moviemen from Hollywood (a
first in history), to make basic training videos and reconnaissance
videos for fighter pilots before missions.
