So I’m listening to Howard Stern on my drive in and they had the most hilarious bit on. Some random woman had a chance to win $5000. The game was pretty simple. They brought in Howard’s father. They asked him 10 questions about Howard’s life. The woman had to guess correctly whether or not Ben (Howard’s Dad) could correctly answer those questions or not. If she could correctly predict whether Ben would be right or not 5 out of 10 times, she won the $5000.
Ben was right a staggering 2 out of 10 times. It was very funny. Howard’s mother was on as well, going crazy at how little her husband knew about their son. It made me wonder how many of the questions my dad could get right (or how many my mom would know for that matter).
The questions:
- Name any teacher Howard had while he was in school.
- What are Howard’s daughter’s middle names?
- What is Howard’s Hebrew name?
- Who was Howard’s kindergarten teacher? (funny because Howard has just told him 5 minutes ago, during the earlier question and Ben still didn’t know)
- Where did Howard’s girlfriend, Beth grow up?
- Where did Howard go to day camp as a child?
- What is the age difference between Howard and his sister?
- What is Howard’s astrological sign?
- What was the name of Howard’s grammar school?
- Does Howard have any allergies?
So do you think your father could answer these questions about you? What about your mother? I think my mom know’s all the relevant questions about me (I don’t have any daughters as far as I know, so they lack middle names), she’s welcome to give a go at it. I imagine my father would likely miss most of them. Anyone else?
My dad could definitely get 1, 6, 7, 9, and 10. We had a teacher in common; I never went to day camp, he’s pretty good with the age differences (if not the actual age; my being 30 this year may change that though), we went to the same grammar school, and he’s been present for my allergic reaction to shellfish – one I share with my brother.
He MIGHT be able to get 4, 5, and 8. The other two aren’t relevant – I am neither Jewish nor have any children.
so that was the one that really surprised me. Howard apparently is fatally allergic to pennicilin. The father had no recollection of that at all and didn’t believe him when Howard told him. You’d think that would be the one thing he would know.
yeah, that shit is important!
wow. my dad may not recall that I am/was allergic to cats (I appear to have grown out of it for the most part) but the whole “things that can kill me” thing definitely stuck.
yeah, he pointed out that if he were to pass out somewhere today and be rushed to the hospital and the only relative they could contact was his dad and they said “Mr. Stern, is your son allergic to pennicilin” then his father would probably say no and give the hospital permission to kill him. It was really weird because on some of the questions he was like “I don’t know” but on that one he seemed quite sure that Howard wasn’t allergic to anything.
So which two did Stern’s dad get right?
he knew the difference in ages (though he didn’t just know it. He knew the birth years and did the math) and he knew where the girlfriend was from. Howard claims that he cares more about the girlfriend than he does his own kids, but the dad said its just because that was recent information, where as everything else was from 30+ years ago.
1: Mom would get it, Dad would not.
2: I have no children, but if I did, Mom would know their names, and Dad would not.
3: I don’t have one of these, due to an acute case of not being Jewish.
4: Probably neither of my parents would know this.
5: My mother would try to be too specific about where Nat grew up and would get it wrong. My dad would just say “Massachusetts” and therefore get it right.
6: Well, it was overnight camp. Mom would know this, Dad has about a 50/50 chance (as all his children went there over a period of 17 years).
7: It would depend on the sister. Mom knows all; Dad would be able to guess some but not others.
8: Neither of my parents would know this, although both would know my birthdate. This is what comes of being skeptics and atheists and so on.
9: Both parents would know this.
10: Neither parent would know this; I’ve only just started having allergies this year, and outgrew the one I had as a child by the time I was 9.
5. I wonder if that was good enough or not. I don’t think they said “city and state” I think they said “where” but the correct answer was Pittsburgh.
8. Yeah, similarly, the dad knew the exact date of the birthday, but said he had no idea what the sign was for then. He said he barely knew his own. The mother did know.
5. I guess it’d be hard for people who grew up in more than one town, then, like Nat.
1- maybe, but only because he works in the schools. And until I was in hs, he didn’t know a single one. I would test him.
2- I have no daughters, but I doubt he would consistently remember such a thing.
3- I doubt he’d know the whole thing.
4- no way.
5- very doubtful
6- no way
7- yes
8- maybe? doubtful.
9- yes, but it’s just the town’s name.
10- possibly, but not definately.
so, 3. Maybe 4. Now I want to test him…
go for it… let me know how he does.
My dad got 4 right- #1, #3, #7, part of #10 (I’m allergic to 3 things, and he knew 1) and called me back a few minutes later with #4 (so I’m giving half points for #10 and #4).
Then I checked my mom, who got 8 right (I don’t remember which ones), and she decided to call her mother with the questions. I have no idea if she actually did or not. Fun game, though.
I think both my parents would know all except 2 (n/a) and 4 (my mom might know but I don’t even remember her name, although I can picture the grumpy old lady). My dad probably wouldn’t know about the sign because perhaps he doesn’t know how to match signs to months. Instead of Jewish name, which I haven’t, I know they both know my Chinese name (which they didn’t even give me).
wow… if they really know all that, its a lot better than everyone else was expecting so far. Why do you think so?
Well, a lot of them have to do with elementary school. For over 20 years now, my family has been selling Xmas trees that we (and others) grow on our farm in Maine at my old elementary school. Part of the proceeds go to benefit the school, and a lot of teachers volunteer at the sale or just buy their tree there. So my parents still have contact with them annually.
Also, with only 2 kids, it’s not too hard to keep track. Plus, since I’ve known since we both still lived in the city we grew up in, and since my parents met him back then, I doubt they could forget that.
I guess it’s dorky but my family is very close. And I’m proud of that.
Are you impressed?
1. Mr. Nore – 1st grade a..hole
2. None
3. hahahaha
4. Mrs. Metelsky
5. Pittsburgh
6. hmmm, only day camp I remember is Vacation Bible School at 1st Lutheran
7. Aprox. 13 years
8. Leo
9. Larkmoor, Irving and Hawthorne Acadamy
10.Milk and milk products
Re: Are you impressed?
Well, I figured you’d be able to get most of them. Derrill, I wouldn’t think so. Anyway,
1. Mr. Nore, I don’t remember that name at all. Are you sure that was me? I don’t remember all of my teachers, but I’m pretty sure that 1st grade was Mr. Engle. I remember because he was the one who was constantly mad at me for not reading the stupid books he assigned.
7. Wasn’t sure if you’d be able to get that one or not. I knew you’d know the difference between me, marc and sean, but since jackie wasn’t yours, I wasn’t sure if you knew how old she was.
Re: Are you impressed?
1. You’re absolutely right. I remembered the man but called him the wrong name… Mr. Nore was one of MY teachers. What do you expect; I’m OLD! hahaha But that’s still pretty good, 9 out of 10.
7. Had to think about it for a couple of minutes, but figured it out.
Re: Are you impressed?
oh, ok. that makes sense then. I think he may have also been the one that sent me to the principals office (good old, Mr. Nolan, crook. ha!) for “refusing to buy the workbook” we were supposed to get.
It’s so great being punished for being poor.