History Main / ExcuseQuestion

* Parodied on ''ABitOfFryAndLaurie'':

* The magazine ''Cube'' was a bit odd about this. On the one hand, an issue had a contest to win a ''Film/SpiderMan1'' DVD, with the question "Who plays Mary-Jane in the movie? A: Kirsten Dunst. B: [[PottyEmergency Burstin For-Dump]]. C: [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Princess Peach]]". On the other hand, a contest to win a GameCube, some controllers, several games, a big-screen TV, and surround-sound speakers, the question was "What does RGB-SCART stand for?" This was in the days when Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} only had a couple of thousand entries and tended not to even appear on Website/{{Google}} searches, so in order to win, you needed access to some relatively obscure documentation.

The question may be in a call-in competition, which usually means the phone call is going to cost you money; require you to text-message your answer, at normal {{texting}} rates, of course; or on a form you need to mail in -- then the question means that the contest is not a "lottery" by legal definition, and therefore not subject to the regulations concerning lotteries, ''and'' you provide your address and/or phone number which can be added to mailing lists for sale.

-->"Who starred in the film ''EnterTheDragon''? Send your answer to: 'BruceLee competition'..."

* ''VideoGame/PaperMarioThousandYearDoor'': Used as a ''plot point''. The BigBad's {{AI}}, TEC-XX, has been allowing the captive Peach to visit its main terminal to converse with her (as it is secretly in love with her). After a few visits, TEC seems conflicted about something, then it suddenly challenges Peach to a quiz game. The first few questions are about things the player must already know, but then;

* The magazine ''Cube'' was a bit odd about this. On the one hand, an issue had a contest to win a ''Film/{{Spider-Man}}'' DVD, with the question "Who plays Mary-Jane in the movie? A: Kirsten Dunst. B: [[PottyEmergency Burstin For-Dump]]. C: [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Princess Peach]]". On the other hand, a contest to win a GameCube, some controllers, several games, a big-screen TV, and surround-sound speakers, the question was "What does RGB-SCART stand for?" This was in the days when Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} only had a couple of thousand entries and tended not to even appear on Website/{{Google}} searches, so in order to win, you needed access to some relatively obscure documentation.

* The PC game for ''BloodBowl'' had one of these in the commentator's chatter to win a year's subscription to Spike magazine. The question has to do with who held a certain record, listing a player by name and then "his son" and "his mum". The other commentator even points out that only one of them ever played ''BloodBowl''.

* ''PrivateEye'' once subverted this with a spoof phone-in quiz: ''What is our phone number? Is it: A) 0898 876876; b) 0898 876877 oe c) 0898 876878. Ring NOW on....''

* In ''Series/FatherTed'' episode "Competition Time", celebrity Henry Sellers is shown doing this in a quiz show.

* Inverted in the UK show ''QI'' (QuiteInteresting), which would frequently have questions that ''looked'' temptingly easy only to have the real answer be something weird and complex.

* Doctor Who Monthly regularly has a contest to win copies of the DVDs/CDs/Books reviewed in each issue. They always have a multiple choice question followed by the right answer, a plausible wrong answer and a "what the hell are you thinking?" answer. Although there are sometimes two WTHAYT answers: "Can you name the deadly insecticide in this story? A) DS9; B) DN6; C) WD40"

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* Mocked by JasperCarrott.
--> "Call in at £60 a minute and answer this question to win a fridge magnet! What is the capital of Britain - is it A, London, or B, 1948?" "[[TooDumbToLive Errrrm...I'm gonna phone in twice, make sure I get it!]]"

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* At least one barroom trivia game had a multiple choice question asking "What was the hit 1992 sequel to the sci-fi film ''TheTerminator?''" The game did not seem to be kidding, either. The correct answer? [[spoiler: Come on, don't be an idiot.]].
* The PC game for BloodBowl had one of these in the commentator's chatter to win a year's subscription to Spike magazine. The question has to do with who held a certain record, listing a player by name and then "his son" and "his mum". The other comentator even points out that only one of them ever played BloodBowl.

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* ''{{Tweep}}'' plays with this when [[spoiler:Jack]] has a "[[http://www.tweep.com/comic/?date=05-25-09 guess how many fingers I have up]]" duel with [[spoiler:Graham, the ex-Hipster King]].

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[-"Isn't it obvious? It's 'custard'."-]

* JohnBoyAndBillyBigShow has a multiple choice quiz for call in listeners that always has two joke answers and the actual correct one (usually it's about some wacky news story, so even the real answer is often ridiculous). The theme song for the segment includes a chorus of cheerleaders shouting "Pick C." [[TooDumbToLive People still get it wrong from time to time.]]

* ''AmericanIdol'' had a text-message contest during season 7 that was similarly ridiculously easy. Of course, you had to pay to text.

* The magazine ''Cube'' was a bit odd about this. On the one hand, an issue had a contest to win a ''Film/{{Spider-Man}}'' DVD, with the question "Who plays Mary-Jane in the movie? A: Kirsten Dunst. B: [[PottyEmergency Burstin For-Dump]]. C: [[SuperMarioBros Princess Peach]]". On the other hand, a contest to win a GameCube, some controllers, several games, a big-screen TV, and surround-sound speakers, the question was "What does RGB-SCART stand for?" This was in the days when {{Wikipedia}} only had a couple of thousand entries and tended not to even appear on Website/{{Google}} searches, so in order to win, you needed access to some relatively obscure documentation.
* ''ComicBook/TwoThousandAD'' usually HangsALampshade on this, with a line like "To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is answer this brain-bustingly easy question."

* The magazine ''Cube'' was a bit odd about this. On the one hand, an issue had a contest to win a ''Film/{{Spider-Man}}'' DVD, with the question "Who plays Mary-Jane in the movie? A: Kirsten Dunst. B: [[PottyEmergency Burstin For-Dump]]. C: [[SuperMarioBros Princess Peach]]". On the other hand, a contest to win a GameCube, some controllers, several games, a big-screen TV, and surround-sound speakers, the question was "What does RGB-SCART stand for?" This was in the days when {{Wikipedia}} only had a couple of thousand entries and tended not to even appear on {{Google}} searches, so in order to win, you needed access to some relatively obscure documentation.

"Hey hey, reader! Welcome to the TVTropes Ultimate Competition line! Answer the following question to win an {{egregious}} prize: a five-week holiday on beautiful [[SugarBowl Sugar Bowl Beach]]!

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[-"Isn't it obvious? It's 'custard'."-]

* There is an ad featuring Manga/{{Naruto}} that asks "What cartoon character is this?" A: Naruto. B: FullmetalAlchemist. C: [[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles Ninja Turtle]]. Bonus headache points for CowboyBebopAtHisComputer.

* PC game ''YouDontKnowJack'' had at least one question along these lines. It was titled "It's a Dog" and was something like "What looks like a dog, sounds like a dog, etc?" The answer? [[spoiler:A dog.]] Hilariously, [[ParanoiaFuel this is labeled as an Impossible Question, and worth a crazy amount of money]].

** There is an ad featuring Manga/{{Naruto}} that asks "What cartoon character is this?" A: Naruto. B: FullmetalAlchemist. C: [[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles Ninja Turtle]]. Bonus headache points for CowboyBebopAtHisComputer.

** There is an ad featuring {{Naruto}} that asks "What cartoon character is this?" A: Naruto. B: [[FullmetalAlchemist Fullmetal Alchemist]]. C: [[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles Ninja Turtle]]. Bonus headache points for CowboyBebopAtHisComputer.

* In Ireland, when ''ToyStory'' was released, there was a competition where the question was "What is the name of the {{cowboy}}?" The application form gave his name in the plot summary.

* Inverted in the UK show ''QI'' (QuiteInteresting), which would frequently have questions that ''looked'' temptingly easy only to have the real answer be something weird and complex.

* The magazine ''Cube'' was a bit odd about this. On the one hand, an issue had a contest to win a ''Film/{{Spider-Man}}'' DVD, with the question "Who plays Mary-Jane in the movie? A: Kirsten Dunst. B: [[PottyEmergency Burstin For-Dump]]. C: [[SuperMarioBros Princess Peach]]". On the other hand, a contest to win a {{GameCube}}, some controllers, several games, a big-screen TV, and surround-sound speakers, the question was "What does RGB-SCART stand for?" This was in the days when {{Wikipedia}} only had a couple of thousand entries and tended not to even appear on {{Google}} searches, so in order to win, you needed access to some relatively obscure documentation.

* NGamer once ran a contest with the following (paraphrased) question: "Who is the the star of TheFastAndTheFurious? A) Vin Diesel B) Jim Petrol C) Kim Oil. Send your answers to itsvindieselyouidiots@ngamer.co.uk."

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* Fictional example: In AAMilne[='=]s play ''The Ugly Duckling'', the law of the kingdom requires a suitor for the hand of the princess to answer a riddle. The current princess is very plain, and her parents, not wanting to give anyone an excuse to turn her down, use riddles like "What is it which has four legs and barks like a dog?" This is PlayedForLaughs in multiple ways. Early in the play, the king and queen recall one suitor who was so desperate not to marry the princess that he somehow completely failed to answer the riddle. Later, a none-too-bright prince [[spoiler:who's an impostor anyway]] is given the answer in advance, but the riddle is changed at the last minute and he gets it wrong. Another character ([[spoiler:the real prince]]) quickly covers for him.

* On ''SouthPark'' the townspeople did this to the unbelievably-annoying Jackovasaurs with a fake game show, hoping they would "win" a permanent trip to France. They were so stupidly unable to answer any of the questions (and Officer Barbrady, their competition, was too stupid to remember he was ''supposed to lose'') that they eventually gave up and just declared them the winners anyway.