Trivia Questions For: Jonathan Corbblah, TV Game Show Champion & NYC Trivia Night Guru

It’s been a while since my last interview for the “Trivia Questions For…” blog series, where I have the pleasure of speaking with leading experts on topics important to TrivWorks’ audience. While mostly focusing on the areas of workplace morale, communication and teamwork, today I am delighted to have caught up with with Jonathan Corbblah to talk about the “fun” side of what we do – which is trivia!

A professional board game teacher by day (and you thought “trivia event producer” was a unique career?) Jonathan is also a bona-fide TV game show champion, as well as a trivia genius: having won “Jeopardy!”, he’s also appeared on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” and NPR’s “Ask Me Another” – not to mention ridden in the Cash Cab, won Ben Stein’s money, and found Carmen Sandiego to boot. Jonathan is also one of the most familiar faces on the New York City trivia night scene, and probably the smartest guy I’ve ever met.

Because he knows so much more about trivia than most of us – myself included – today, I am asking him about why people are so drawn to trivia as a form of competitive entertainment.

1.     What is it about trivia that makes you such a passionate enthusiast?

Before I ever set foot into a pub quiz, I found trivia intriguing. At its essence, whenever you enjoy a work of literature or are entertained by a film or encounter some nugget of miscellany during your life, the idea that you may need to later recall that experience competitively is engaging. Like most players, the real prize isn’t the bar tab, cash or random “tchotchkes,” it’s the  feeling of being smart and useful.

 2.     As a bona-fide trivia guru & game show champion, you approach trivia contests from a totally different perspective than most people. What goes through your mind when playing trivia? 

It’s sounds odd but a reoccurring theme when it comes to trivia is the uniqueness or “trivia-like” characteristic of an answer. Not too obscure but not too obvious but also bearing that odd quality that makes it more notable than another answer. Another facet of my approach which has helped become successful is by completely memorizing exhaustive lists of commonly referenced trivia tropes such as world capitals, Oscar winners, Shakespeare plays, periodic tables etc. It took a while but it’s something I believe anyone can do.

 3.     What is the single-most important aspect of a trivia event or game show, to make it a success? 

Creativity. There are only so many ways to present the same material over and over until it becomes stale. If you can integrate lateral thinking, hidden answers and completely different genres of trivia in the same question or round and deliver it in an interesting way, participants will leave happy regardless of how well they did.

 4.     Conversely, what does a “bad” trivia event look like?

Well, I have attended more bad trivia than good unfortunately. The hallmarks of bad trivia would be a host that drones on in a monotone and uninterested way;  short boring questions that only reference one narrow slice of information; overly obscure questions that have little resonance; vague wording. In short it doesn’t matter how hard the question is, it only matters if you are mad that you got the question wrong. The host should never read an answer that people get wrong and be met with apathy. Forehead slapping is ideal.

 5.     As reported last month in “The Wall Street Journal,” trivia has exploded in recent years as an informal pub quiz activity and a professional corporate team building activity in NYC and nationally. Why do you think that is? 

Much like a bowling night or a ladies night, trivia is a way to fill a bar on a night that wouldn’t normally attract a big crowd. Also like those other nights, people who enjoy trivia have the likelihood of becoming regulars as it is fun to see not only your own friends consistently from week to week but also having regular opponents enriches the whole experience. As far as the corporate aspect, it really allows coworkers to regard the people they see on a daily basis in a brand new light.

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Now, Jonathan has a trivia question he would like to as YOU, and it’s one of his favorites:

Which model has written four full length novels – and has appeared topless on the covers of all four?

Write your answer in the “Leave a Reply” box below.

Do you have questions, comments or thoughts regarding this interview? Please feel free to share below as well!