Barry Crimmins Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bobcat Goldthwait

Bobcat Goldthwait is a prominent stand up comic and actor best known for his role as Zed in the "Police Academy" movies. He directed a documentary about Barry Crimmins' life and comedy. Bobcat started out as a comic in a comedy club that Crimmins' owned and Crimmins was his mentor. He was close friends with Crimmins and he and Crimmins' wife were with him when Crimmins died.

Answer: Call Me Lucky

The movie premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, and won awards at 11 other film festivals. The film delves into Crimmins' roots in upstate New York and shows how Crimmins used his rage at childhood abuse to fuel his caustic political comedy.

The documentary has appearances by many comedians who were friends with Crimmins or who were mentored by him including Patton Oswalt, Margaret Cho, Paula Poundstone, David Cross, and Jack Gallagher.

Answer: Air America

Air America was a progressive radio network that aired from 2004 to 2010. He was an on-air correspondent. Air America also featured Al Franken and Rachel Maddow.

Answer: Never Shake Hands with a War Criminal

The book was published in 2004. The war criminal to which Crimmins referred was Henry Kissinger, to whom Crimmins was once introduced; he refused to shake his hand because of Kissinger's support for the expansion of the Vietnam war and support for dictators such as Pinochet and Pol Pot. The books contains both autobiographical stories and Crimmins' satirical comments on politics and society. He has some interesting anecdotes such as being turned down by National Public Radio after he refused to change a piece to something that would go against his beliefs.

Along with outrage at evil doings in government and big corporations, Crimmins talks about his friends. He also talks about people he has met who are inspiring and a credit to humanity. For example, he talks about a man who was a real Christian, who helped a homeless boy who the man found in the street, as well as and his own grandfather, who taught Crimmins to speak out against McCarthyism and mindless patriotism.

Answer: Cancer

Barry Crimmins passed away from liver cancer on February 28, 2018. He was 64 years old. He died in his home town with his wife, Helen, at his side; she announced his death on his Twitter page.

Answer: Anti-Pedophilia

During the early days of the internet, Crimmins discovered AOL chatrooms being used by pedophiles to share child pornography and to prey on children. He gathered evidence of such activity and sent it to AOL. When they refused to take action, Crimmins turned his evidence over to the FBI, who used it to arrest numerous child pornography offenders.

He later testified before Congress on the need to enforce anti-child pornography laws.

Answer: He was sexually assaulted.

As an adult Crimmins revealed that when he was four years old, he was molested by a friend of his then babysitter. Crimmins repressed the memories of the incident until he was an adult. In 1992, Crimmins revealed his history of being molested in a serious monologue in a Boston Comedy Club.

After coming public with this revelation, Crimmins became an activist against child pornography. He collected evidence of the use of AOL chatrooms to trade child pornography and solicit sex with children and turned it over to the FBI. Crimmins also testified to a congressional committee on the issue.

His actions helped to force AOL to shut down those chatrooms.

Answer: Whatever Threatens You

When Crimmins told someone that he was doing an AIDS benefit, Crimmins was asked if he was some kind of queer. Crimmins replied, "I'm whatever threatens you. I'm a Communist with AIDS and I bite." The special was produced and directed by Louis CK and in it Crimmins tackles some controversial topics, such as meat eaters, the Catholic Church, and the Second Amendment.

Answer: Skaneateles, New York

Skaneateles is a small town in upstate New York. Before the Civil War, Skaneateles was a part of the Underground Railroad. The author and educator Mary Elizabeth Beauchamp lived in Skaneateles.

Crimmins was born in Kingston, New York, but moved to Skaneateles when he was six. When Crimmins was a boy, he played football and baseball and wrote for the Skaneateles press. Crimmins first expressed his inclinations toward comedy in his sophomore year, where he performed a spoof of "Rock a Round the Clock" with two of his friends.

Answer: Democratic Party

While Barry Crimmins strongly disagreed with Republicans, he was also highly critical of Democrats. Crimmins talked about the above issues in his comedy routines, and wrote about them on his blog and twitter page.