qvicqvid vi general quiz (prelims)
TRANSCRIPT
‘Presidency 200’ Prelims
Format and Rules
-20 Questions on decades extending from 1820s to 2010s.
-1850s (#4), 1900s (#9), 1950s (#14) and 2000s (#19) are star-marked and would be taken
into account in case of a tie.
1. 1820s
2. 1830s
3. 1840s
.
.
.
18. 1990s
19. 2000s
20. 2010s
1. 1820sJean Lafitte was a French-American pirate who
operated along the Gulf of Mexico in the earlier
half of the 19th century, and worked as an informer
during the Mexican War of Independence. Also
known for having established a pirate colony in
Galveston Island, Lafitte is probably best known
for being associated with the popular rumour that
he rescued ‘X’ from his exile, who is supposed to
have died in Louisiana (as opposed to usually
accepted historical narrative).
Interestingly, another figure associated with Jean
Lafitte was ‘Y’ (best known for his North
American odyssey of 1823), who is supposed to
have been held as a captive in the Galveston pirate
colony- Campeche, before becoming a privateer
associate with Lafitte.
Identify ‘X’ and ‘Y’.
2. 1830s
Best associated with Kangal Harinath and _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [‘X’(founder)], Sambad
Prabhakar holds the distinction for being the first Bengali daily newspaper. Financially
supported by the Pathuriaghata branch of the Tagore family, Sambad Prabhakar provided a
platform for innumerable figures associated with the Bengal Renaissance.
Apart from this, one of the chief contributions of ‘X’ lay in the fact, that he revived and
brought into fore the archaic style of writing Bengali poetry- something, which is probably
best associated with Bharatchandra Ray, the court poet of Maharaja Krishnachandra.
A self-referential example by ‘X’ himself to demonstrate the point-
‘Ke bole _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, byapta charachar,
Jahar prabhaye prabha paye Prabhakar’
Identify ‘X’.
[Hints: Hooghly River, Bansberia, Kalyani Expressway]
3. 1840s
Connect the following (partial list) with the news magazine- ‘X’(founded in 1843), which
had Herbert Spencer as one of its early sub-editors:
-One of the Four Books of Confucianism [dating back to the Warring States period of
Chinese history (475-221 B.C)].
-The oldest son of Pepin the Short and Bertrada of Laon.
-The protagonist of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
-A Renaissance humanist and Catholic priest from Rotterdam.
-The national tree of India.
4. 1850s
If British ambassador Sir G.H Seymour is to be believed it all began with Nicholas I of
Russia’s description of the mid-19th century Ottoman Empire- a‘man (who) has fallen
into a state of decrepitude’.
Through the entire course of the 20th century, countries including – the United Kingdom
and Germany have been labeled at various points of time as the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _.
Countries which had to deal with the ignominy in the 21st century include among others-
France (labeled by Morgan Stanley and The Guardian), Greece (labeled by EurActiv),
Italy (labeled by The Daily Telegraph) and Russia.
FITB.
5. 1860s
Identify both.
-a British Liberal politician and PM for four
separate terms.
-a British Conservative politician and PM for
two separate terms.
[Victorian cartoons from the Punch magazine,
1868]
6. 1870sVanity Fair caricatures of : ‘X’(1870) and ‘Y’ (1875).
X:‘Il Re Galantuomo’; by James Tissot
(Coïdé)
Y: ‘The Science of Language’; by
Carlo Pellegrini (Ape)
7. 1880s
The Steamhouse (La maison à vapeur ) is an 1880 novel by Jules Verne which has the
post-1857 British India as its backdrop, and narrates the story of a group of English
colonists and their journey in a steam powered mechanical elephant. Also known
through its alternate title- The End of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, it offers a fictitious
explanation for the mysterious disappearance of the Maratha aristocrat, who is
probably remembered for his role in the Bibighar and the Satichaura Ghat massacre of
Europeans.
In other words, name the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II or, the leader of the
Sepoy rebellion in Kanpur.
8. 1890s
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed
America is a non-fiction book by former WSJ journalist Erik Larson, which revolves
around the figure of Daniel H. Burnham (the architect of the 1893 World’s Columbian
Exposition/Chicago World’s Fair) and the serial killer ‘X’, best known for his highly
sophisticated ‘Murder Castle’ complete with gas chambers, dissection tables and a
crematorium. Also dealing with the character of George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr.
(the originator of the Ferris Wheel), the film rights of the book was secured by
Leonardo Di Caprio in 2010 and as of now the project is supposed to be directed by
Martin Scorsese and would have Billy Ray as the screenwriter.
Name/Identify ‘X’.
9. 1900s
While the Chepauk Palace in Madras is widely accepted as the first example of the _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ style of architecture, it was properly revived and popularized under the
supervision of British architects John Begg (consulting architect of the Government of
Bombay as well as India ) and George Wittet (the first President of the Indian Institute of
Architects). Though largely restricted to the Bombay Presidency, works of both architects
exhibited the characteristic ‘Asian exoticism’ along with traces of Neo-Classical and
Gothic Revival schools, and was largely applied while designing public buildings like
clock towers, town halls, court houses. Deriving its name from the generic term which was
used by Greco-Roman historians to define Muslims in the later-Medieval age, identify this
style of architecture.
10. 1910s
Images of Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin campaigning for the sale of _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Bonds on behalf of the U.S Treasury Department and the National Association of the Motion
Picture Industry (which had entered into a strategic alliance with the Committee on Public
Information in order to generate wartime propaganda) in Wall Street.
Interestingly, securities titled _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Bonds were issued once again in post- 9/11 USA,
in order to fund reconstruction works.
FITB.
11. 1920s
Otherwise low-profile member of U.S House Of
Representatives for the Republican Party Andrew
John _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (‘X’) , would in all probability
be remembered only for co-authoring the
Cooperative Marketing Associations Act (which
came into force in 1922), if it was not for a 13 year
phase in U.S history which is largely associated
With widespread mob/criminal activity. Drafted by
Wayne Wheeler on behalf of the Anti-Saloon
League (which was one of the pressure groups
demanding ‘Y’), this rather unpopular Act (so much
so that it was vetoed by Woodrow Wilson) derived
its title from _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (‘X’),who was then the
Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
‘X’ and ‘Y’?
12. 1930s
After purchasing the Continental Hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts and the Stonehaven
Hotel in Springfield, Massachusetts through the Standard Investing Company, Harvard
students- Ernest Henderson and Robert Moore decided to keep the signboard (‘X’) of their
third acquisition unchanged (as it was turning out to be too expensive), and went on to
name their entire brand- ‘X’.
Interestingly, furniture connoisseurs of England would probably define ‘X’ as something
‘characterized by a feminine refinement of late Georgian styles’ thereby linking ‘X’ with
Thomas Chippendale and George Hepplewhite (18th century furniture makers).
‘X’?
13. 1940s
Demophobic, a sleepwalker and the number one _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ of the Second World
War, Betty Grable is probably best known for the iconic 1943 pose flaunting her ‘Million
Dollar Legs’ (a nickname derived from the title of a B-movie starring Grable and her then
husband Jackie Coogan), apart from the being the highest-paid U.S entertainer for the
year 1947.
The 1943 shot was the result of a regular session in collaboration with photographer
Frank Powolny. The photoshoot involved several pictures of Grable in a one-piece
bathing suit, one of which was released as a poster and went on to become the most
requested photo for G.Is, thereby surpassing Rita Hayworth’s iconic 1941 shot for the
Life magazine.
FITB.
14. 1950s
According to the creator (‘Y’)-
‘X’ is a ‘suave, agreeable and utterly amoral (con artist and serial killer who always
evades justice)’.
Listed as one of the 100 Best characters in fiction by Book magazine, ‘X’ is described as an
epicurean, who excels in languages, has a penchant for painting and is repelled by poor
manners and tastes. Married to a rich heiress and residing in Belle Ombre, Villeperce-sur
Seine (near Fontainebleau), identify this ‘dapper sociopath’, who was portrayed on silver
screen for the first time by Alain Delon.
Also, name the creator (‘Y’).
15. 1960s
The Collins English Dictionary defines the term ‘X’ as-
‘… resembling or suggestive of the conditions described in _ _ _ _ _ _ _’s novels & stories,
esp. dystopian modernity, bleak man-made landscapes & the psychological effects of
technological, social or environmental developments.’
The term can also be applied in order to indicate a specific ‘phase in late capitalism that is
yet to play itself out, and which is best articulated by the writer…’
Identify the term ‘X’ (which is derived from the author’s surname).
[Hint: Think of a David Cronenberg film dealing with Symphorophilia, and an upcoming
Tom Hiddleston- Jeremy Irons- Sienna Miller starrer]
16. 1970s
Description of ‘X’ (as per the original script of the film), which follows an excerpt from a
Thomas Wolfe essay-
‘… age 26, lean, hard, the consummate loner. On the surface he appears good-looking, even
handsome; he has a quiet steady look and a disarming smile which flashes from nowhere,
lighting up his whole face. But behind that smile, around his dark eyes, in his gaunt cheeks,
one can see the ominous stains caused by a life of private fear, emptiness and loneliness. He
seems to have wandered in from a land where it is always cold, a country where the
inhabitants seldom speak. The head moves, the expression changes, but the eyes remain
ever- fixed, unblinking, piercing empty space … He has the smell of sex about him: Sick sex,
repressed sex, lonely sex, but sex nonetheless. He is a raw male force, driving forward;
toward what, one cannot tell. Then one looks closer and sees the evitable. The clock spring
cannot be wound continually tighter. As the earth moves toward the sun, ‘X’
moves toward violence.’
Identify ‘X’.
17. 1980s_ _ _ _ _ _
BORN: 1983
DIED: 1991
“Let not ambition mock their frivolous ways,
Their pricey joys and consumer craze.
Nor grandeur hear with a disdainful twitch
The short and selfish annals of the nouveau rich.
The causes of death were family, finances and fatigue.
The tasteful tombstone is set amid
the soothing green of a field of Perrier bottles…”
-Walter Shapiro (for the TIME magazine)
FITB (Hint: The share market crash of 1987 is usually regarded as the event which marked
the demise of _ _ _ _ _ _-dom).
18. 1990s
Slate’s review of a remake of an immensely popular 1991 Super Bowl advert.
Intended message: ‘X’ is carbonated and artificially flavored water from the
fountain of youth. If you drink enough, you will look like ‘Y’. Forever.
Message most viewers are likely to receive: ‘Y’ is better than you. She is better than
everyone. She is a superior being. She could drink motor oil, and still she would not age.
Not only does she remain precisely as sexy as she was a decade ago, but she does so despite
having had two children. Two children, by the way, who resemble the finest statuary of
antiquity. She is beautiful, and her children are beautiful. ‘Y’ has it all. She looked better
than you in 1991, she looks better than you now, and she will always look better than you.
You are a bug. The years may exact a terrible toll on your body, but ‘Y’ laughs in the face
of time itself. Go ahead and stare, go ahead and dream, go ahead and buy a ‘X’ if you really
think it will help. It will not help. Bow down, puny mortal, and tremble with envy and
admiration before the awesome spectacle of ‘Y’.
Identify ‘X’ and ‘Y’.
19. 2000s
The Express Tribune (May 5, 2015)- ‘It started in a room, picked up in college corridors and
classrooms, landed across borders and opened doors for many musicians along its way to becoming one
of the biggest hit of the decade. The story of _ _ _ _ _ (‘X’) is one of triumph and controversy: two
college students, barely a penny in their pockets but a powerful song in their hands, begging record
studios and shooting to fame across borders, before parting ways.
Fourteen years ago, a Computer Science student from University of Central Punjab returned home
frustrated and disappointed, partly due to a day packed with assignments but mostly because he was
let down by his favourite band’s, one of Pakistan’s most influential rock band, latest album. He picked
up his old guitar and began strumming until he played something in C sharp and improvised the
lines … The student was _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (‘Y’) and that is how he recalls ‘X’ came into being.
From then on, ‘X’ became his signature track in university. Little did ‘Y’ know that one of his juniors
would eventually become the face of the band, and in many ways, the face and sound of Pakistan’s
pop music internationally. He was Atif Aslam. Given their interest in music, Atif and ‘Y’ decided to
collaborate, going by the very obvious name of Atif & ‘Y’… Jal came into being when an Islamabad
based organizer wanted the ‘X’ duo to perform but also wanted to print their “band name” on posters.
“We had to give them a name; so, we quickly came up with Jal and the rest is history,” recalls ‘Y’.’
Identify ‘X’ and ‘Y’.
20. 2010s
The Huffington Post (17.10.2012)-
‘_ _ _ _ _ _ _ (‘X’) Henao: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _'s Son, Sebastian Marroquin, Creates
Clothing Line Using Father's Likeness And Documents
The new fashion line by Sebastian Marroquín (born Juan Manuel _ _ _ _ _ _ _Henao) also
features his father’s student ID card, driver’s license, and banks account ledgers. The line has
produced over 10,000 t-shirts, priced to sell between 65 and 95 dollars… Marroquín, who
legally changed his name after his father’s death, told the Associated Press that through the
clothing line he hoped to turn a dark family history into an opportunity for reflection and
peace… Despite its popularity Marroquín told the Associated Press the clothing line would not
be sold in Colombia though the factory is based in his birth city of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (‘Y’) to help
create jobs and strengthen the economy, Mamiverse reported.
“We don’t wish to make money off of the grief of any Colombian,” Marroquín told the
Associated Press.’
‘X’ and ‘Y’?
1. 1820sJean Lafitte was a French-American pirate who
operated along the Gulf of Mexico in the earlier
half of the 19th century, and worked as an informer
during the Mexican War of Independence. Also
known for having established a pirate colony in
Galveston Island, Lafitte is probably best known
for being associated with the popular rumour that
he rescued ‘X’ from his exile, who is supposed to
have died in Louisiana (as opposed to usually
accepted historical narrative).
Interestingly, another figure associated with Jean
Lafitte was ‘Y’ (best known for his North
American odyssey of 1823), who is supposed to
have been held as a captive in the Galveston pirate
colony- Campeche, before becoming a privateer
associate with Lafitte.
Identify ‘X’ and ‘Y’.
Answer: X- Napoleon Bonaparte, Y- Hugh Glass
2. 1830s
Best associated with Kangal Harinath and _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [‘X’(founder)], Sambad
Prabhakar holds the distinction for being the first Bengali daily newspaper. Financially
supported by the Pathuriaghata branch of the Tagore family, Sambad Prabhakar provided a
platform for innumerable figures associated with the Bengal Renaissance.
Apart from this, one of the chief contributions of ‘X’ lay in the fact, that he revived and
brought into fore the archaic style of writing Bengali poetry- something, which is probably
best associated with Bharatchandra Ray, the court poet of Maharaja Krishnachandra.
A self-referential example by ‘X’ himself to demonstrate the point-
‘Ke bole _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, byapta charachar,
Jahar prabhaye prabha paye Prabhakar’
Identify ‘X’.
[Hints: Hooghly River, Bansberia, Kalyani Expressway]
Answer: Ishwar Gupta
3. 1840s
Connect the following (partial list) with the news magazine- ‘X’(founded in 1843), which
had Herbert Spencer as one of its early sub-editors:
-One of the Four Books of Confucianism [dating back to the Warring States period of
Chinese history (475-221 B.C)].
-The oldest son of Pepin the Short and Bertrada of Laon.
-The protagonist of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
-A Renaissance humanist and Catholic priest from Rotterdam.
-The national tree of India.
Answer: The Economist (Blogs/Columns)
-Analects
-Charlemagne
-Prospero
-Erasmus
-Banyan
4. 1850s
If British ambassador Sir G.H Seymour is to be believed it all began with Nicholas I of
Russia’s description of the mid-19th century Ottoman Empire- a‘man (who) has fallen
into a state of decrepitude’.
Through the entire course of the 20th century, countries including – the United Kingdom
and Germany have been labeled at various points of time as the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _.
Countries which had to deal with the ignominy in the 21st century include among others-
France (labeled by Morgan Stanley and The Guardian), Greece (labeled by EurActiv),
Italy (labeled by The Daily Telegraph) and Russia.
FITB.
Answer: Sick Man of Europe
5. 1860s
Identify both.
-a British Liberal politician and PM for four
separate terms.
-a British Conservative politician and PM for
two separate terms.
[Victorian cartoons from the Punch magazine,
1868]
Answer: William Ewart Gladstone and Benjamin
Disraeli (Bendizzy)
6. 1870s
Vanity Fair caricatures of : ‘X’(1870) and ‘Y’ (1875).
X:‘Il Re Galantuomo’; by James Tissot
(Coïdé)
Y: ‘The Science of Language’; by
Carlo Pellegrini (Ape)
Answer: X- Victor Emmanuel II,
Y- Max Mueller
7. 1880s
The Steamhouse (La maison à vapeur ) is an 1880 novel by Jules Verne which has the
post-1857 British India as its backdrop, and narrates the story of a group of English
colonists and their journey in a steam powered mechanical elephant. Also known
through its alternate title- The End of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, it offers a fictitious
explanation for the mysterious disappearance of the Maratha aristocrat, who is
probably remembered for his role in the Bibighar and the Satichaura Ghat massacre of
Europeans.
In other words, name the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II or, the leader of the
Sepoy rebellion in Kanpur.
Answer: Nana Sahib
8. 1890s
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed
America is a non-fiction book by former WSJ journalist Erik Larson, which revolves
around the figure of Daniel H. Burnham (the architect of the 1893 World’s Columbian
Exposition/Chicago World’s Fair) and the serial killer ‘X’, best known for his highly
sophisticated ‘Murder Castle’ complete with gas chambers, dissection tables and a
crematorium. Also dealing with the character of George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr.
(the originator of the Ferris Wheel), the film rights of the book was secured by
Leonardo Di Caprio in 2010 and as of now the project is supposed to be directed by
Martin Scorsese and would have Billy Ray as the screenwriter.
Name/Identify ‘X’.
Answer: H.H Holmes
9. 1900s
While the Chepauk Palace in Madras is widely accepted as the first example of the _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ style of architecture, it was properly revived and popularized under the
supervision of British architects John Begg (consulting architect of the Government of
Bombay as well as India ) and George Wittet (the first President of the Indian Institute of
Architects). Though largely restricted to the Bombay Presidency, works of both architects
exhibited the characteristic ‘Asian exoticism’ along with traces of Neo-Classical and
Gothic Revival schools, and was largely applied while designing public buildings like
clock towers, town halls, court houses. Deriving its name from the generic term which was
used by Greco-Roman historians to define Muslims in the later-Medieval age, identify this
style of architecture.
Answer: Indo-Saracenic
10. 1910s
Images of Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin campaigning for the sale of _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Bonds on behalf of the U.S Treasury Department and the National Association of the Motion
Picture Industry (which had entered into a strategic alliance with the Committee on Public
Information in order to generate wartime propaganda) in Wall Street.
Interestingly, securities titled _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Bonds were issued once again in post- 9/11 USA,
in order to fund reconstruction works.
FITB.
Answer: Liberty Bonds
11. 1920s
Otherwise low-profile member of U.S House Of
Representatives for the Republican Party Andrew
John _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (‘X’) , would in all probability
be remembered only for co-authoring the
Cooperative Marketing Associations Act (which
came into force in 1922), if it was not for a 13 year
phase in U.S history which is largely associated
With widespread mob/criminal activity. Drafted by
Wayne Wheeler on behalf of the Anti-Saloon
League (which was one of the pressure groups
demanding ‘Y’), this rather unpopular Act (so much
so that it was vetoed by Woodrow Wilson) derived
its title from _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (‘X’),who was then the
Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
‘X’ and ‘Y’?
Answer: X-Volstead, Y- Prohibition in the U.S
12. 1930s
After purchasing the Continental Hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts and the Stonehaven
Hotel in Springfield, Massachusetts through the Standard Investing Company, Harvard
students- Ernest Henderson and Robert Moore decided to keep the signboard (‘X’) of their
third acquisition unchanged (as it was turning out to be too expensive), and went on to
name their entire brand- ‘X’.
Interestingly, furniture connoisseurs of England would probably define ‘X’ as something
‘characterized by a feminine refinement of late Georgian styles’ thereby linking ‘X’ with
Thomas Chippendale and George Hepplewhite (18th century furniture makers).
‘X’?
Answer: X- Sheraton (Thomas Sheraton)
13. 1940s
Demophobic, a sleepwalker and the number one _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ of the Second World
War, Betty Grable is probably best known for the iconic 1943 pose flaunting her ‘Million
Dollar Legs’ (a nickname derived from the title of a B-movie starring Grable and her then
husband Jackie Coogan), apart from the being the highest-paid U.S entertainer for the
year 1947.
The 1943 shot was the result of a regular session in collaboration with photographer
Frank Powolny. The photo shoot involved several pictures of Grable in a one-piece
bathing suit, one of which was released as a poster and went on to become the most
requested photo for G.Is, thereby surpassing Rita Hayworth’s iconic 1941 shot for the
Life magazine.
FITB.
Answer: Pin-up girl
14. 1950s
According to the creator (‘Y’)-
‘X’ is a ‘suave, agreeable and utterly amoral (con artist and serial killer who always
evades justice)’.
Listed as one of the 100 Best characters in fiction by Book magazine, ‘X’ is described as an
epicurean, who excels in languages, has a penchant for painting and is repelled by poor
manners and tastes. Married to a rich heiress and residing in Belle Ombre, Villeperce-sur
Seine (near Fontainebleau), identify this ‘dapper sociopath’, who was portrayed on silver
screen for the first time by Alain Delon.
Also, name the creator (‘Y’).
Answer: X- Tom Ripley, Y- Patricia Highsmith
15. 1960s
The Collins English Dictionary defines the term ‘X’ as-
‘… resembling or suggestive of the conditions described in _ _ _ _ _ _ _’s novels & stories,
esp. dystopian modernity, bleak man-made landscapes & the psychological effects of
technological, social or environmental developments.’
The term can also be applied in order to indicate a specific ‘phase in late capitalism that is
yet to play itself out, and which is best articulated by the writer…’
Identify the term ‘X’ (which is derived from the author’s surname).
[Hint: Think of a David Cronenberg film dealing with Symphorophilia, and an upcoming
Tom Hiddleston- Jeremy Irons- Sienna Miller starrer]
Answer: Ballardian (J.G Ballard)
16. 1970s
Description of ‘X’ (as per the original script of the film), which follows an excerpt from a
Thomas Wolfe essay-
‘… age 26, lean, hard, the consummate loner. On the surface he appears good-looking, even
handsome; he has a quiet steady look and a disarming smile which flashes from nowhere,
lighting up his whole face. But behind that smile, around his dark eyes, in his gaunt cheeks,
one can see the ominous stains caused by a life of private fear, emptiness and loneliness. He
seems to have wandered in from a land where it is always cold, a country where the
inhabitants seldom speak. The head moves, the expression changes, but the eyes remain
ever- fixed, unblinking, piercing empty space … He has the smell of sex about him: Sick sex,
repressed sex, lonely sex, but sex nonetheless. He is a raw male force, driving forward;
toward what, one cannot tell. Then one looks closer and sees the evitable. The clock spring
cannot be wound continually tighter. As the earth moves toward the sun, ‘X’
moves toward violence.’
Identify ‘X’.
X: Travis Bickle
17. 1980s_ _ _ _ _ _
BORN: 1983
DIED: 1991
“Let not ambition mock their frivolous ways,
Their pricey joys and consumer craze.
Nor grandeur hear with a disdainful twitch
The short and selfish annals of the nouveau rich.
The causes of death were family, finances and fatigue.
The tasteful tombstone is set amid
the soothing green of a field of Perrier bottles…”
-Walter Shapiro (for the TIME magazine)
FITB (Hint: The share market crash of 1987 is usually regarded as the event which marked
the demise of _ _ _ _ _ _-dom).
Answer: Yuppie
18. 1990s
Slate’s review of a remake of an immensely popular 1991 Super Bowl advert.
Intended message: ‘X’ is carbonated and artificially flavored water from the
fountain of youth. If you drink enough, you will look like ‘Y’. Forever.
Message most viewers are likely to receive: ‘Y’ is better than you. She is better than
everyone. She is a superior being. She could drink motor oil, and still she would not age.
Not only does she remain precisely as sexy as she was a decade ago, but she does so despite
having had two children. Two children, by the way, who resemble the finest statuary of
antiquity. She is beautiful, and her children are beautiful. ‘Y’ has it all. She looked better
than you in 1991, she looks better than you now, and she will always look better than you.
You are a bug. The years may exact a terrible toll on your body, but ‘Y’ laughs in the face
of time itself. Go ahead and stare, go ahead and dream, go ahead and buy a ‘X’ if you really
think it will help. It will not help. Bow down, puny mortal, and tremble with envy and
admiration before the awesome spectacle of ‘Y’.
Identify ‘X’ and ‘Y’.
Answer: X- Pepsi/Diet Pepsi, Y- Cindy Crawford
19. 2000s
The Express Tribune (May 5, 2015)- ‘It started in a room, picked up in college corridors and
classrooms, landed across borders and opened doors for many musicians along its way to becoming one
of the biggest hit of the decade. The story of _ _ _ _ _ (‘X’) is one of triumph and controversy: two
college students, barely a penny in their pockets but a powerful song in their hands, begging record
studios and shooting to fame across borders, before parting ways.
Fourteen years ago, a Computer Science student from University of Central Punjab returned home
frustrated and disappointed, partly due to a day packed with assignments but mostly because he was
let down by his favourite band’s, one of Pakistan’s most influential rock band, latest album. He picked
up his old guitar and began strumming until he played something in C sharp and improvised the
lines … The student was _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (‘Y’) and that is how he recalls ‘X’ came into being.
From then on, ‘X’ became his signature track in university. Little did ‘Y’ know that one of his juniors
would eventually become the face of the band, and in many ways, the face and sound of Pakistan’s
pop music internationally. He was Atif Aslam. Given their interest in music, Atif and ‘Y’ decided to
collaborate, going by the very obvious name of Atif & ‘Y’… Jal came into being when an Islamabad
based organizer wanted the ‘X’ duo to perform but also wanted to print their “band name” on posters.
“We had to give them a name; so, we quickly came up with Jal and the rest is history,” recalls ‘Y’.’
Identify ‘X’ and ‘Y’.
Answer: X- Aadat, Y- Goher Mumtaz
20. 2010s
The Huffington Post (17.10.2012)-
‘_ _ _ _ _ _ _ (‘X’) Henao: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _'s Son, Sebastian Marroquin, Creates
Clothing Line Using Father's Likeness And Documents
The new fashion line by Sebastian Marroquín (born Juan Manuel _ _ _ _ _ _ _Henao) also
features his father’s student ID card, driver’s license, and banks account ledgers. The line has
produced over 10,000 t-shirts, priced to sell between 65 and 95 dollars… Marroquín, who
legally changed his name after his father’s death, told the Associated Press that through the
clothing line he hoped to turn a dark family history into an opportunity for reflection and
peace… Despite its popularity Marroquín told the Associated Press the clothing line would not
be sold in Colombia though the factory is based in his birth city of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (‘Y’) to help
create jobs and strengthen the economy, Mamiverse reported.
“We don’t wish to make money off of the grief of any Colombian,” Marroquín told the
Associated Press.’
‘X’ and ‘Y’?
Answer: X- Escobar, Y- Medellín