Monthly Trivia Archives: February 2012

Week of February 24 – Oscar Trivia

The individual who was awarded the most total Oscars was Walt Disney, who walked away with 26 Academy Awards over his lifetime,  He had 64 total Oscar nominations.  

The Oscar statuette weighs 6 3/4 pounds, and stands 13 1/2 inches high. It was named by Margaret Herrick, the Academy librarian, who remarked in 1931 (upon seeing the statuettes), “Why it looks like my Uncle Oscar!” Her uncle’s full name, by the way, was Oscar Pierce.

Meryl Street received a record of 17 nominations (she won two).

The longest acceptance speech ever given at an Academy Awards ceremony was given by Greer Garson.   when she accepted her award for Best Actress in 1942’s “Mrs. Miniver.”   It’s uncertain exactly how long she spoke – most sources agree it was somewhere between 5 1/2 and 7 minutes.

The three movies that won the most Oscars were “Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” (2003),”Titanic” (1997) and “Ben-Hur” (1959). All three movies won 11 statuettes.  (Second place is held by “West Side Story,” which won ten Oscars.)

Meryl Streep  was so flustered by her win she left her Oscar behind in the ladies room.

Billy Crystal keeps a toothbrush in his pocket.  The 63-year-old comedian, who will be hosting his ninth Academy Awards ceremony, isn’t a hygiene freak. He carries the toothbrush as a tradition dating back to his childhood, when he’d improvise pretend Oscar speeches for his family using his toothbrush as a microphone.

Woody Allen Woody Allen made his first ever appearance at the 2002 Oscar ceremony to present a tribute to films shot in New York City compiled by Nora Ephron in the wake of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

Woody Allen has won three Academy Awards and been nominated a total of 23 times: 15 as a screenwriter, seven as a director, and one as an actor. He has more screenwriting Academy Award nominations than any other writer; all are in the ” Best Original Screenplay ” category. He is tied for third all-time with seven Best Director nominations. His actors have regularly received both nominations and Academy Awards for their work in Allen films, particularly in the Best Supporting categories.

Week of February 17 – Presidential Trivia

In honor of Presidents Day, we thought we would share some intriguing factoids about our elected presidential leaders.

James Madison – Weighing in at a lean 100 pounds, this 5 foot 4 inch tall president was the country’s shortest president.

William Howard Taft – Weighing over 300 pounds, Taft holds the undesirable distinction of being the heaviest U.S. president. Embarrassingly, Taft once got stuck in the White House bathtub. To avoid a repeat of the awkward fiasco, a new tub – four times the normal size – was installed.

James Buchanan – When the Prince of Wales visited the White House with his oversized entourage, Buchanan was forced to sleep in the hallway.

Grover Cleveland – Cleveland was known for personally answering incoming phone calls to the White House.

Woodrow Wilson – Sheep were raised for wool on the White House lawn during Wilson’s term.

Herbert Hoover – Hoover donated his salary to charity.

Harry S. Truman – This musical president rose before dawn each day for two hours of piano practice.

Jimmy Carter – An accomplished speed reader, Carter was clocked at reading 2,000 words per minute.

Week of February 4 – Famous Superbowl ads

Perhaps the most famous Super Bowl ad ever, the ad for Apple’s Macintosh followed a 1984 theme. Directed by Ridley Scott, the adfeatured a woman wearing track-and-field clothing sprinting into a large auditorium and hurling a large hammer into a screen right before security guards can subdue her. On the screen was a large Big Brother-type of face speaking to a massive assembly of drone-like people. His last words were “We shall prevail,” before the screen explodes and leaves the audience enraptured in gazing at the spectacle.

Another famous Super Bowl ad campaigns that lives on has been the “I’m Going to Disney World” ads for the past 20 years.

In 2002, Budweiser produced a commercial featuring the Clydesdales (titled “Clydesdale Respect”) as a tribute to the terrorist attacks of 9/11. The commercial shows the horses walking across the Brooklyn bridge into NYC. They then stopped, gazed at the ruined New York skyline, and bowed in reverence and respect.

In 1973, the first famous Super Bowl commercial was for Noxzema featuring legendary New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath.

Old Spice:  Old Spice rocked the social media in 2011 with its commercials feature Isiah Mustafa, former football .  Creating custom video for fans, the “Old Spice Guy” became everyone’s favorite topless dude.

In 1980, a spot for  Coca-Cola featuring Pittsburgh Steelers  All-Pro defensive linemen “Mean Joe Greene” who is offered a Coca-Cola by a young fan and tosses the kid his gam-worn jersey as repayment.  However, it is technically not viewed as a Super Bowl ad since it actually debuted on October 1, 1979, not during the game of the  SuperBowl.   

In 2010, According to the USA  Today Ad Meter, which gauges public reaction, the Snickers commercial featuring the 88-year-old actress playing football was  the most popular advertisement during the Super Bowl.

What is your favorite Superbowl ad?  Send us your choice at info@jennyspizza.com and we will announce the most popular response. Winner chosen will win a FREE PIZZA, SALAD and APPETIZER of their choice!