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Quiz about Infamy at Its Finest
Quiz about Infamy at Its Finest

Infamy at Its Finest Trivia Quiz


Infamy, is of course, being famous for doing something horrible. I've tried to hit as many aspects of human experience as possible.

A multiple-choice quiz by Correspondguy. Estimated time: 7 mins.
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Time
7 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
321,446
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
4488
Awards
Top 5% quiz!
Last 3 plays: Guest 49 (8/10), MrNobody97 (10/10), Guest 16 (8/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. The best way to become an infamous murderer is to evade capture. The second best is to have a rhyming verse written about you. What (alleged) murderer is the subject of the verse

______ took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done
She gave her father forty-one.?
Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. No quiz about infamy could possibly fail to include the Nazis, so here's the obligatory Nazi question: What infamous sign arched over the main gate to the Auchwitz Concentration Camp? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. In the 1970s, a neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York, achieved infamy because it was heavily contaminated with toxic waste. The city had been told that toxic waste had been dumped on the site, but insisted on buying the land anyway. Eventually, construction breached the containment around the waste and toxic chemicals flowed into the neighborhood, resulting in birth defects and cancer. What was the ironic name of the neighborhood? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Back in the late 1970's, film companies let directors pursue their visions (if you're a director) or run amok (if you're a studio executive). One movie, though, is infamous for not only being expensive and awful, but destroying the company that produced it. The story is this: the director, Michael Cimino, submitted a script to United Artists in 1971. They shelved the project. Then Cimino won two Oscars (Best Director and Best Picture) for "The Deer Hunter." So, in 1979 they reconsidered. Cimino proceeded to spend $40 million making what was supposed to be a $11.6 million dollar film. He shot 220 hours of footage, spent $40 million, and ultimately submitted a 5 hour (!) movie, which the studio forced him to cut to 3 hours. And it was terrible. It earned approximately $3.5 million at the box office. The loss of 37 million 1979-1980 dollars spelled the end of United Artists as an independent studio. What's the name of the movie with which Cimino destroyed a 61 year-old studio and his own reputation? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. It's amazing how many infamous things happened in the 1970's. In 1978, 913 members of "People's Temple" committed mass suicide. "People's Temple" originated in Indiana, moved to San Francisco, and then relocated to Guyana, where a minister who had been an asset to the community gradually degenerated into a paranoid maniac. The method of suicide chosen by the cult was a deadly punch, which was infamously associated with "Kool-Aid," leading to expressions like "I didn't drink the Kool-Aid" to indicate resistance to nutty authority. Anyway, what was the nickname of the compound where most of the suicides took place and which will be forever infamous in the powdered-beverage industry? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. There's an apocryphal story about an elderly Jew reading an antisemitic tract in a shtetl. When they asked him why he was reading such trash, he answered that he enjoyed reading about how powerful he was. In 1903, a book appeared in the Russian Empire that purported to be an internal document from the Jewish conspiracy to dominate the world. The book was revealed to be a hoax eighteen years later, but that hasn't stopped people (including Henry Ford, but that's a whole 'nother story) from believing that it's real and that it provides strong evidence for the supposed "worldwide Jewish conspiracy". What's the title of this infamous hoax? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. In 1865, Abraham Lincoln gave his Second Inaugural Address, in which he advocated "... malice toward none, charity for all." Less than six weeks later, he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. Booth, of course, achieved infamy by his act; not only was he the first presidential assassin, he managed to ensure a difficult Reconstruction. Anyway, before Booth became infamous, he was moderately famous in his chosen profession. What was Booth's profession? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. I think it's too cynical to believe that car manufacturers would sell a manifestly unsafe car. On the other hand, I think that if you believe that they make sure every car is as safe as it could possibly be, then you're simply not paying attention. One car like this became infamous due to the first chapter of Ralph Nader's book "Unsafe at Any Speed." What car earned infamy for its tendency to crash under certain circumstances? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. This one has something for everyone. On February 1, 2004, the Carolina Panthers played the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII. The half-time show featured, among other acts, a performance by Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson. At the end of the act, Timberlake yanked off a part of Jackson's costume, resulting in the exposure of most of Jackson's right breast (well, all of it except the nipple). The breast was visible for 9/16ths of a second, but that was enough to ignite a firestorm of controversy, recrimination, and general hoopla. There are lots of reason for this incident's infamy, but the ones that leap to mind are 1) the exposure of the breast, 2) the tremendous overreaction by people (lawsuits were filed), 3) the fact that you can show graphic violence but not a woman's breast on American Television, 4) the fact that something interesting happened during the Super Bowl half-time show, which is something I avoid watching, so I missed it, and 5) the lame excuse offered by the show's producers. This question concerns number 5. What is the infamous expression coined for the inadvertent display of "naughty" bits? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. As always, when I write a quiz based on an Author Challenge, I can't be certain what prompted the challenge. But, I believe the most famous use of the word "infamy" in American History is in a speech by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in which he said a certain date would "live in infamy." President Roosevelt was, of course, referring to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. What date will "live in infamy?" Hint



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quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The best way to become an infamous murderer is to evade capture. The second best is to have a rhyming verse written about you. What (alleged) murderer is the subject of the verse ______ took an axe And gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done She gave her father forty-one.?

Answer: Lizzie Borden

Lizzie Borden, though tried for the double homicide of her stepmother and father, was acquitted. That's not something to stand in the way of a good verse, though. Aileen Wuornos was the serial killer played by Charlize Theron in "Monster," and Gertrude Baniszewski tortured and murdered a child left in her care, and "Jenny Check" is the fictional serial killer in "Jennifer's Body" (although since I haven't seen the movie, I can't state for a fact that she's ever called "Jenny").
2. No quiz about infamy could possibly fail to include the Nazis, so here's the obligatory Nazi question: What infamous sign arched over the main gate to the Auchwitz Concentration Camp?

Answer: "Arbeit macht frei" (or "Work will make you free")

One of the things I enjoy about writing these quizzes is that I learn a lot. For example, I knew that "Arbeit macht frei" was at the Auschwitz gate, but not that it was over the gate of several other concentration camps, too. Of course, "Arbeit macht frei" was a complete and utter falsehood; a huge number of people who saw the sign were going to be dead within hours, and very few people were ever released from Nazi concentration camps.
3. In the 1970s, a neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York, achieved infamy because it was heavily contaminated with toxic waste. The city had been told that toxic waste had been dumped on the site, but insisted on buying the land anyway. Eventually, construction breached the containment around the waste and toxic chemicals flowed into the neighborhood, resulting in birth defects and cancer. What was the ironic name of the neighborhood?

Answer: Love Canal

The company that dumped the waste, Hooker Chemical, was found to be negligent, but not reckless. The difference is that Hooker had fully disclosed the fact that there were extremely toxic materials buried on the site, but had not secured them well enough.

The city, on the other hand, knew about the waste and yet built things around and on it, exposing the citizens to all kinds of awful things.
4. Back in the late 1970's, film companies let directors pursue their visions (if you're a director) or run amok (if you're a studio executive). One movie, though, is infamous for not only being expensive and awful, but destroying the company that produced it. The story is this: the director, Michael Cimino, submitted a script to United Artists in 1971. They shelved the project. Then Cimino won two Oscars (Best Director and Best Picture) for "The Deer Hunter." So, in 1979 they reconsidered. Cimino proceeded to spend $40 million making what was supposed to be a $11.6 million dollar film. He shot 220 hours of footage, spent $40 million, and ultimately submitted a 5 hour (!) movie, which the studio forced him to cut to 3 hours. And it was terrible. It earned approximately $3.5 million at the box office. The loss of 37 million 1979-1980 dollars spelled the end of United Artists as an independent studio. What's the name of the movie with which Cimino destroyed a 61 year-old studio and his own reputation?

Answer: Heaven's Gate

To cap it all, "Heaven's Gate" is also notorious for the mistreatment of animals. I'm not sure how many of the allegations I believe, but the American Humane Association's website lists enough that I certainly believe animals were mistreated. So, we have a long, boring movie where horses explode. I'm shocked that no one wanted to see it. "Waterworld" is a 1995 movie starring Kevin Costner that cost $75 million more than it was supposed to, but eventually broke even. "Leonard, Part 6" came in on budget (I assume), but was so terrible that Bill Cosby, who starred in it, told people to stay away. "Ishtar" was a 1987 movie starring Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman which has become synonymous with failure.
5. It's amazing how many infamous things happened in the 1970's. In 1978, 913 members of "People's Temple" committed mass suicide. "People's Temple" originated in Indiana, moved to San Francisco, and then relocated to Guyana, where a minister who had been an asset to the community gradually degenerated into a paranoid maniac. The method of suicide chosen by the cult was a deadly punch, which was infamously associated with "Kool-Aid," leading to expressions like "I didn't drink the Kool-Aid" to indicate resistance to nutty authority. Anyway, what was the nickname of the compound where most of the suicides took place and which will be forever infamous in the powdered-beverage industry?

Answer: Jonestown

It's been written over and over, but the beverage of choice at Jonestown was not "Kool-Aid." It was "Flavor Aid," a very similar product. There was "Kool-Aid" on site, but the actual beverage containing the poison was "Flavor Aid." It's a small distinction, but one which I'm sure the employees of "Kool-Aid" would be very quick to point out.
6. There's an apocryphal story about an elderly Jew reading an antisemitic tract in a shtetl. When they asked him why he was reading such trash, he answered that he enjoyed reading about how powerful he was. In 1903, a book appeared in the Russian Empire that purported to be an internal document from the Jewish conspiracy to dominate the world. The book was revealed to be a hoax eighteen years later, but that hasn't stopped people (including Henry Ford, but that's a whole 'nother story) from believing that it's real and that it provides strong evidence for the supposed "worldwide Jewish conspiracy". What's the title of this infamous hoax?

Answer: The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion

The other three are all things which do not purport to come from inside the conspiracy. "The International Jew" is a set of antisemitic pamphlets Henry Ford had printed and distributed. "The Blood Libel" is the allegation that Jews drink or eat the blood of Gentiles. That claim has been made against a lot of minorities, Christians included. "The Invisible Empire" is one of the titles of the Klu Klux Klan.
7. In 1865, Abraham Lincoln gave his Second Inaugural Address, in which he advocated "... malice toward none, charity for all." Less than six weeks later, he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. Booth, of course, achieved infamy by his act; not only was he the first presidential assassin, he managed to ensure a difficult Reconstruction. Anyway, before Booth became infamous, he was moderately famous in his chosen profession. What was Booth's profession?

Answer: He was an actor.

John Wilkes Booth actually came from a family of actors. One of the reasons he decided to kill Lincoln in Ford's Theater was that Booth had performed there and knew the place. In an amazing coincidence, Booth's brother, Edwin Booth, pulled Lincoln's son, Robert Lincoln, out of the path of a train, saving his life.

In addition to being a horrible act and a great national tragedy, Lincoln's assassination turned out to be a blunder of epic proportions. Booth's act not only removed the most powerful advocate the South had, it also enraged the North.
8. I think it's too cynical to believe that car manufacturers would sell a manifestly unsafe car. On the other hand, I think that if you believe that they make sure every car is as safe as it could possibly be, then you're simply not paying attention. One car like this became infamous due to the first chapter of Ralph Nader's book "Unsafe at Any Speed." What car earned infamy for its tendency to crash under certain circumstances?

Answer: The Chevrolet Corvair

Here's the distinction I'm making: the Corvair was prone to crashes if the driver took a hard corner, had inflated the tires improperly, and made some driving mistakes. The problem was also confined to four model years, from 1960-1963. However, the tire pressure was distinctly odd and not that recommended by the tire manufacturer, so if an owner looked at the tires, he or she would inflate them "improperly." In addition, the Corvair was not marketed to expert drivers, who (as a market demographic) were not interested in buying it anyway. I'm also betting that nowhere did anything or anyone say, "If you don't do [this], [this], and [this], your car may crash if you take a tight corner." See what I mean? For the record, I know of no serious safety issues with the other three, but I haven't researched it.
9. This one has something for everyone. On February 1, 2004, the Carolina Panthers played the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII. The half-time show featured, among other acts, a performance by Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson. At the end of the act, Timberlake yanked off a part of Jackson's costume, resulting in the exposure of most of Jackson's right breast (well, all of it except the nipple). The breast was visible for 9/16ths of a second, but that was enough to ignite a firestorm of controversy, recrimination, and general hoopla. There are lots of reason for this incident's infamy, but the ones that leap to mind are 1) the exposure of the breast, 2) the tremendous overreaction by people (lawsuits were filed), 3) the fact that you can show graphic violence but not a woman's breast on American Television, 4) the fact that something interesting happened during the Super Bowl half-time show, which is something I avoid watching, so I missed it, and 5) the lame excuse offered by the show's producers. This question concerns number 5. What is the infamous expression coined for the inadvertent display of "naughty" bits?

Answer: A "wardrobe malfunction"

Look, I get that people are concerned about their children seeing breasts. I don't agree with it, but I get it. What I think is ridiculous is thinking that a Super Bowl Halftime show could possibly do anything with class and dignity. In my definition, Super Bowl Halftime shows are infamous as being the worst misuse of the word "entertainment" that is not associated with Reality TV. I would also point out that 9/16ths of a second is not a long time.
10. As always, when I write a quiz based on an Author Challenge, I can't be certain what prompted the challenge. But, I believe the most famous use of the word "infamy" in American History is in a speech by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in which he said a certain date would "live in infamy." President Roosevelt was, of course, referring to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. What date will "live in infamy?"

Answer: December 7, 1941

A couple of tid-bits. First, if you got this question right, you have a better memory than President George H.W. Bush, who claimed that September 7, 1988 was the forty-seventh anniversary. President Bush (41) actually fought in World War II, so that's particularly embarrassing. Second, I was hired for my first "real" job on December 7, which came in handy because if you were an employee as of December 8, you got stock options that year, so the date stuck in my mind.
Source: Author Correspondguy

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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