2009 Pop Culture Quiz

1. Complete the U2 lyric from a hit song on the "No Line on the Horizon" CD, released in March: "The right to be _____________ is something I hold dear"

• A. Righteous

• B. Wrong

• C. Ridiculous

• D. Happy

2. The famous Chihuahua from the "Yo quiero Taco Bell" ads died in July at age 15. What surprising facts came out about this dog in the obituary?

• A. Though depicted as male in commercials, was actually a female named Gidget

• B. Also appeared, unbilled, in the movie "Legally Blonde II"

• C. Couldn't acutally speak -- voice in the commercials was dubbed by a human

• D. All of the above

3. How did Conan O'Brien sustain a concussion on his TV show in 2009?

• A. Banging his head on his desk in mock exasperation

• B. Falling out of his chair while laughing at a funny story from Chris Rock

• C. Slipped and fell while racing Teri Hatcher down the stairs and across the stage

• D. A ceiling tile fell on him during his opening monologue

4. What unfortunate occurrence befell Bret Michaels, lead singer of Poison, during the 2009 Tony Awards ceremony?

• A. Forgot the lyrics of the song he was performing song from "Rock of Ages"

• B. Broke his nose when he walked face-first into a large stage prop

• C. Got caught lip-synching and bolted from the stage in embarrassment

• D. Slurred speech and incoherent speech led to rumors of intoxication

5. Which long-running TV soap opera ended its historic run and broadcast its final episode in September?

• A. "All My Children"

• B. "As the World Turns"

• C. "Guiding Light"

• D. "General Hospital"

6. On Sept. 8, millions of parents took their kids from class rather than allow them to watch President Obama's controversial speech to the nation’s school children. What was the president's message?

• A. "We need universal health care"

• B. "You must tolerate diversity"

• C. "Conservatives are all wrong"

• D. "Work hard and stay in school"

7. In January, Ty Inc. introduced two new Beanie Babies named Sasha and Malia, the same names as President Obama's two daughters. How did the company explain the names?

• A. A tribute to the president's daughters

• B. Those two names are about to become very popular

• C. Trying to captialize on the excitement surrounding the inauguration

• D. Just a coincidence, and "no reference to the Obama girls"

8. Levi Johnston spent much of 2009 trying to financially capitalize on the fact that he had impregnated Sarah Palin's daughter. Which of the following did he do to draw attention to himself?

• A. Posed nude for magazine photos

• B. Allowed himself to be dragged around the Teen Choice Awards as a comedic prop by Kathy Griffin

• C. Made the rounds on TV talk shows to discuss his sex life

• D. All of the above

9. Excitement reigned when Nadya Suleman delivered healthy octuplets. People became outraged when it turned out she was unmarried, already had 6 kids and in bankruptcy. What was her defense?

• A. She had a lonely childhood as an only child and wanted her own kids to have lots of siblings

• B. She thought her ex-husband might come back to her if he saw that she was overburdened

• C. She thought if she had more kids she might be able to get a reality show like Jon and Kate Gosselin

• D. Fourteen has always been her lucky number

10. Miller Brewing Co. bought a series of ads on the Super Bowl that were each one-second long. What two words did the exuberant delivery man shout in each of these ads?

• A. "Drink Miller!"

• B. "Miller Time!"

• C. "High Life!"

• D. "It's good!"

11. Why did President Obama have to take the Oath of Office twice on his inauguration day?

• A. He was drowned out by cheers

• B. He was drowned out by protesters

• C. Chief Justice Roberts accidentally had Obama say the words in the wrong order

• D. The TV cameras didn't have a good angle the first time

12. Which Oscar-nominated actor made national headlines in February when he appeared on David Letterman's show with a mangy beard and gave a surly, incoherent interview?

• A. Joaquin Phoenix

• B. Morgan Freeman

• C. Brad Pitt

• D. Jamie Foxx

13. In April, Sean Hannity said that waterboarding isn't really torture and would try it to raise money for charity. Keith Olbermann offered $1000 for every second he lasted. How much money was raised?

• A. $5000 for five seconds

• B. $10,000 for ten seconds

• C. $20,000 for 20 seconds

• D. None--Hannity backed down

14. Which celebrity announced plans to undergo a sex-change operation?

• A. Cher's daughter, Chastity Bono

• B. Comedian Roseanne Barr

• C. Alaskan boy toy Levi Johnston

• D. Former sitcom star Mackenzie Phillips

15. How did Jon and Kate Gosselin increase ratings for their reality TV show in 2009?

• A. Switching from cable to network TV

• B. A high-profile ad campaign

• C. Guest appearances by the stars of "Twilight"

• D. Infidelity and an acrimonious divorce played out in the tabloids

16. In June, actor David Carradine was found hanging from a rope in the closet of his Bangkok hotel room. What was Carradine trying to do when he accidentally hanged himself?

• A. String a clothesline

• B. Pull a loose tooth

• C. Learn how to tie a bolo tie

• D. We can't answer that question in a family newspaper

17. As of August, the entire cast of "Friends" is 40 or older. Who was the last cast member to hit the big four-oh?

• A. Lisa Kudrow

• B. Matt LeBlanc

• C. Jennifer Aniston

• D. Matthew Perry

18. In August, residents of Long Branch, N.J., called police to report a scruffy, middle-aged man who seemed to be peering through homes in the neighborhood? Who did officers detain for questioning?

• A. Alec Baldwin

• B. Bob Dylan

• C. Joaquin Phoenix

• D. David Letterman

19. When Michael Jordan was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in September, onlookers and media were shocked by his speech. Why?

• A. He spoke for less than 60 seconds

• B. He never mentioned the Chicago Bulls

• C. He cursed repeatedly

• D. He spent much of the speech angrily attacking everyone who had ever made him mad

20. Which newsmaker further entertained the American public by vomiting during live interviews on both "Good Morning America" and the "Today" show?

• A. Alaskan boy toy Levi Johnston

• B. "Balloon boy" Falcon Heene

• C. "Octo-mom" Nadya Suleman

• D. Dethroned Miss California Carrie Prejean

21. In the hottest dance track of the summer, rapper Sean Kingston frantically urged "Somebody call 911!" What was the emergency?

• A. "I'm havin' a heart attack!"

• B. "The Earth is quakin'!"

• C. "Shawty fire burnin' on the dance floor!"

• D. "I've fallen and I can't get up !"

22. What media magnate offered a special promotion with Kentucky Fried Chicken that prompted such a massive response that KFC was unable to meet the demand?

• A. Rush Limbaugh

• B. Oprah Winfrey

• C. Matt Lauer

• D. Regis Philbin

23. As the Michael Jackson concert rehearsal film "This is It" was about to come out, the late singer's estate sheepishly acknowledged that the title song was co-written by which composer?

• A. Paul Anka

• B. Marvin Hamlisch

• C. Pat Boone

• D. Neal Sedaka

24. When asked by Time Magazine for a 400-word essay on his hopes for the Obama administration, talk show host Rush Limbaugh said he could sum up his thoughts in four words. What were they?

• A. "Good luck to him."

• B. "No … no … no … no."

• C. "He's not my president."

• D. "I hope he fails."

25. In February, police in Stamford, Conn., shot a 200-pound chimpanzee to death after it attacked someone. The chimp was later identified as something of a primate celebrity. What was his claim to fame?

• A. Starred opposite Matt LeBlanc in the kids film "MVP – Most Valuable Primate"

• B. Beat a human "competitive eater" in a televised banana-eating contest

• C. Listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's tallest chimp

• D. Appeared with Morgan Fairchild in an Old Navy TV commercial

26. In August, comic book fans were stunned when Archie Andrews got engaged to be married. After a lifetime of equivocating between Veronica Lodge and Betty Cooper, who did he finally choose?

• A. Veronica

• B. Betty

• C. Both

• D. Jughead

27. News of Michael Jackson's sudden death on June 25 completely overshadowed what other beloved celebrity who had died a few hours earlier?

• A. Ed McMahon

• B. Farrah Fawcett

• C. Walter Cronkite

• D. Patrick Swayze

28. The final episode of "E.R." drew an audience of 16.4 million viewers. This was the biggest audience for the finale of a TV drama since the final episode of …

• A. "Murder, She Wrote"

• B. "Hill Street Blues"

• C. "L.A. Law"

• D. "Knots Landing"

29. When Susan Boyle auditioned for "Britain's Got Talent," the audience laughed at the 47-year-old's appearance. She started singing and became an instant sensation. What did she sing?

• A. "Think of Me" from "The Phantom of the Opera"

• B. "Memory" from "Cats"

• C. "I'm Not That Girl" from "Wicked"

• D. "I Dreamed a Dream" from "Les Miserables"

30. Three of the following celebrity couples broke up in 2009. Which one is still together?

• A. Madonna and Guy Ritchie

• B. Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Romson

• C. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

• D. Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson

31. A US Weekly cover story in September featured pregnant reality TV stars Kourtney Kardashian and Kendra Wilkinson describing their fears about …

• A. Labor and delivery

• B. Getting back in shape after childbirth

• C. The responsibilities of motherhood

• D. Breastfeeding with implants

32. After Kanye West made a scene at the MTV VMAs, interrupting Taylor Swift's speech to say that she didn't deserve the award she had won, who made headlines by calling West "a jackass?"

• A. Taylor Swift

• B. Jay Leno

• C. Pat Robertson

• D. President Obama

33. Who was the first guest on Jay Leno's new prime-time talk show?

• A. President Obama

• B. Conan O'Brien

• C. Jerry Seinfeld

• D. Tom Cruise

34. Which actor hosted both the Emmy Awards and the Tony Awards in 2009?

• A. Kelsey Grammer

• B. Hugh Laurie

• C. Neal Patrick Harris

• D. Levi Johnston

35. At the end of Michael Jackson's memorial service, which of his children stepped to the front of the stage to tearfully tell the crowd that he was a wonderful father who would always be missed?

• A. Prince Michael

• B. Paris Katherine

• C. Blanket

• D. Macaulay Culkin

36. Lauren Johnson, a 12-year-old from Chesapeake, made national news in the fall when she missed several weeks of school because she could not stop doing what?

• A. Coughing

• B. Sneezing

• C. Laughing

• D. Singing

37. Country music legend Garth Brooks announced plans in 2009 for a series of concerts in what city?

• A. Nashville

• B. Branson

• C. New York

• D. Las Vegas

38. David Letterman acknowledged his marital infidelities on his late-night talk show, and he even tossed in some jokes. Which of the following did he not say in describing what he'd done?

• A. The women he cheated with were embarrassed to be associated with him

• B. Viewers were amazed to learn that anyone would have sex with Dave

• C. He tried to pay off his alleged extortionist with one of those oversized they hand out as prizes

• D. It was all part of a friendly competition with Tiger Woods that just got out of hand

39. In June, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford told his staff and his family that he was going for a hike on the Appalachian Trail. Where did he hike to?

• A. Georgia

• B. Pennsylvania

• C. Maine

• D. Buenos Aires

40. When tennis star Serena Williams blew up at a line judge at the U.S. Open, where did she threaten to shove a tennis ball?

• A. Up the line judge's butt

• B. Down the line judge's throat

• C. Down her own throat

• D. In the line judge's ear

41. After Tareq and Michaele Salahi successfully fooled the Secret Service and crashed a White House state dinner in November, how did they explain their actions?

• A. Admitted it was a stunt to get themselves cast on a reality show

• B. Said they did it to win a $100 bet with friends

• C. Claimed they really just wanted to meet the Prime Minister of India

• D. Insisted that they really were invited, even if no one affiliated with the event knew it

42. Who or what are "Gleeks?"

• A. Genetically altered leek onions

• B. A kind of high-sugar candy meant to inspire euphoric rushes

• C. Hardcore fans of the TV show "Glee"

• D. A type of gay-and-lesbian social network

43. Who did Jon Stewart describe as "finally, a guy who says what people who aren't thinking are thinking?"

• A. Bill O'Reilly

• B. Glen Beck

• C. Al Sharpton

• D. Joe Biden

44. In the series finale of "Monk, " private investigator Adrian Monk finally found the man who had killed his wife Trudy. What surprising revelation about his wife did this discovery lead to?

• A. Trudy was still alive and in hiding

• B. She had an adult daughter living with adoptive parents

• C. She was working as a government agent

• D. She was in the federal witness protection program and her real name was Cindy Brady

45. Who was named as the new judge of "American Idol?"

• A. Ellen Degeneres

• B. Donnie Osmond

• C. Paula Abdul

• D. Levi Johnston

46. In April, President Obama named Kal Penn as Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. To accept the job, Penn had to quit his job as one of the stars of which television show?

• A. "Sesame Street"

• B. "60 Minutes"

• C. "House"

• D. "CSI: Miami"