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Go Fact Yourself

Ep. 23: Ophira Eisenberg & Charles Busch

Go Fact Yourself

MaximumFun.org

Game Show, Comedy, Quiz, Podcast, Trivia, Arts, Helen Hong, Angel City, J. Keith Van Straaten

4.6786 Ratings

🗓️ 2 November 2018

⏱️ 56 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

It's another episode Go Fact Yourself recorded in New York! Ophira Eisenberg is used to being on trivia shows as the host of NPR’s Ask Me Another. But here’s the thing: she doesn’t consider herself a trivia buff. Like, at all. That said, she’s chosen topics that she thoroughly understands… and most of them involve being a proud Canadian. Charles Busch is a Tony-nominated actor, playwright, and drag legend. He’s the creator of the film and play Die, Mommie, Die!, which will soon be produced as a radio show. Even though he’s spent most of his professional career performing in women’s clothing, he still finds some of the clothes a bit uncomfortable… but that’s one of the best parts of being an actor. In this episode, we’ll learn about street-building materials, fashion, and the undervalued cuisine of Canada. What’s the difference: The streets of New York What’s the difference between “cement” and “concrete”? What’s the difference between a “freeway” and a “highway”? Areas of Expertise: Ophira Eisenberg: Canadian Geography, Canadian food, and the film Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Charles Bush: Women’s fashion of 1930’s, The film Rosemary’s Baby, and Bette Davis Appearing in this episode: J. Keith van Straaten Helen Hong Ophira Eisenberg Charles Busch With guest experts: Marcel Simoneau, owner of the Brooklyn-based Canadian restaurant Up North. Eugenia Paulicelli, professor and author of the book Fashion under Fascism. Go Fact Yourself was devised by Jim Newman and J. Keith van Straaten, and produced in collaboration with Maximum Fun. The show was recorded at Caveat in New York City. Theme Song by Jonathan Green Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher The show is edited by Julian Burrell.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Are you a real no-it-all?

0:07.0

Do you annoy your family by shouting the answers while watching Jeopardy?

0:11.0

Do you drive people crazy when you start a sentence with, well, actually?

0:17.0

Well, guess what? You can go fact yourself.

0:29.9

Hi, everyone. Welcome to Go Fact Yourself, the show where we take the smartest people we know and make them look dumb.

0:38.3

And then smart again. I'm Helen Hong, and now from Caviot in New York City, here's our moderator, Jay Keith Van Stratten.

0:39.3

Thank you, Helen.

0:40.4

Thank you, everybody.

0:43.3

What a nice, generous New York City crowd.

0:47.8

Helen, how have you been enjoying your time back here in New York City where you grew up?

0:48.6

My hometown.

0:54.0

One of my first memories is of toddling on subway grates, so it's really nice to be back. Wait, wait a minute. Your parents just put you down on subway grades. So it's really nice to be back.

0:54.7

Wait, wait, wait, wait, right.

0:57.1

Your parents just put you down on subway grades to toddle? They were like, here, toddle away on this dirty New York City Street.

1:01.0

That was before we had like safety equipment and standards and stuff.

1:03.8

It was before child safety laws.

1:05.7

Yeah.

1:05.8

It is really, really nice to be back and see the old sites.

1:09.7

A lot of the old sites have changed, though.

1:11.1

Yeah, a lot of things are Quiznos now.

1:13.9

I know.

1:15.1

I went to my old block in the East Village, and the great, like, shady bodega there

...

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