The Bomb Diggity Eighties Trivia Quiz

Answer: Les Misérables

"Les Misérables" by Victor Hugo was turned into a musical by French composer Claude-Michel Schönberg and lyricist Alain Boublil. Their original show ran for 100 nights in Paris then closed. In 1983, producer Cameron Mackintosh approached the pair about making an English version of the musical. Herbert Kretzmer was hired to write the English lyrics. Originally panned by critics, the show became a huge success with audiences.

Besides the original Broadway production that ran from 1987 until 2003, there have been two revivals from 2003 to 2006 and 2014 to 2016. The original Broadway show won eight Tony Awards. The show has thus far been produced in 42 countries and translated into 21 languages.

In 2012, a film adaptation of the musical was made starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, and Anne Hathaway. Hathaway won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Fantine, while the film also won two other Oscars for make-up and sound.

This question was staged by Phoenix Rising team member tazman6619.

Answer: Cabbage Patch Kids

Cabbage Patch Kids were so popular that some have referred to them as the ultimate '80s toy. They were the brainchild of art student Xavier Roberts, and were first picked up for distribution by Coleco in 1982. Initially, there were nine different head types randomly matched to a variety of bodies resulting in many different doll designs. The idea behind Cabbage Patch Kids was that they were adopted by customers, rather than purchased. After "birth", the dolls lived and played at Babyland General until they were "adopted".

This question was patched together by Phoenix Rising team member JCSon.

Answer: Margaret Thatcher

Ah, the '80s! For ladies it was a time of big hair, big sleeves, big glasses and, thanks to Joan Collins and Dynasty, big shoulder pads. Designer Giorgio Armani was instrumental in taking power dressing to a new level by tailoring men's suits for women.

For Margaret Thatcher, it was part of the persona she deliberately took on to compete in world - and domestic - politics. Her dresser was Margaret King and it was she who was pivotal in developing the style for which Margaret Thatcher was known.

This question was fashioned by Phoenix Rising team member VegemiteKid.

Answer: Bloom County

Berkeley Breathed, a cartoonist, launched "Bloom County" on December 8, 1980 using two characters from his college paper comic "The Academia Waltz". Breathed combined a fantastical world in which animals could talk and where children were wise beyond their years with a savvy social and political commentary. His most beloved and popular character, Opus the penguin, was not an original character but quickly grew to dominate the strip after his introduction.

One of the main storylines in the '80s was when Donald Trump's brain was transplanted into Bill the Cat. At about the same time that Trump announced his candidacy, Breathed revived "Bloom County", this time on Facebook. Without the restraints of editors the comic has flourished. Breathed has admitted the two events were not coincidental but also credited Harper Lee with bringing the comic back. Apparently she was a big fan of Opus and told Breathed not to let him die.

This question was sketched by Phoenix Rising member tazman6619.

Answer: Blade Runner

"Blade Runner" (1982), a movie about replicants passing as humans in a dystopian 2019, under-performed at the box office despite its megastar (Ford) and stellar special effects. Since winning a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (1983) it has developed a cult following, spawned a director's cut version in 1992 and a sequel ("Blade Runner 2049") in 2017, and is now lauded as one of the best science fiction films of all time.

The other three options were all blockbusters of the '80s with each achieving its own infamy along the way.

This question was screened by Phoenix Rising team member 1nn1.

Answer: A wider base and a narrower top

The Epcot (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) theme park started out as a futuristic utopian city envisioned by Walt Disney. It was meant as a testing site for state-of-the-art city planning. Today, the park showcases the world as it currently is and the technologically-advanced world that could be in the future.

The Eiffel Tower at the France Pavilion is only a tenth of the original size. To make it appear taller, the tower is proportionally wider at the base and narrower at the top. Since birds landing on the structure would spoil the illusion, the management uses natural bird repellent to keep the birds away.

This question was raised by Phoenix Rising team member purelyqing.

Answer: Rush Limbaugh

In 1988, Limbaugh's show would go national through radio station WABC in New York and continue through WOR in 2014. Talker's Magazine's 2015 estimate put the "Rush Limbaugh Show's" cumulative weekly audience at 13.25 million listeners, ranking his programme as the most listened-to talk-radio programme in the United States. Limbaugh's first book (see question) and his second, "See, I Told You So" (1993), both topped the New York Times' Best Seller lists. He has also written a series of children's books that have received excellent reviews.

This question was aired by Phoenix Rising team member pollucci19.

Answer: Jeopardy!

"Jeopardy!" originally aired from 1964 to 1975 as an NBC property hosted by Art Fleming. In 1984, it became a syndicated game show hosted by Alex Trebek.

Until 2003, contestants were only allowed to win a maximum of 5 games before they were retired as an undefeated champion. In 2003, the rules were changed to allow a contestant to play until they were defeated. Ken Jennings won an impressive and probably unbeatable 74 games in a row before finally losing. He won over $2.5 million during his run. As of 2017, the person with the second most consecutive wins is Julia Collins with 20. This demonstrates the sheer scope of Jennings' accomplishment.

This question was posed by Phoenix Rising team member tazman6619.

Answer: Street performers

The Cirque du Soleil, or Circus of the Sun, was founded in Quebec by Guy Laliberté and Gilles Ste-Croix. The pair were part of a performing troupe that toured the province in conjunction with a celebration marking 450 years since Jacques Cartier's discovery of Canada. The travelling show was named the Cirque du Soleil due to its theatrical vibrancy. Today, the circus, which incorporates circus arts with themes and storylines, performs on all continents except Antarctica, and continues to wow spectators with its creative brilliance.

This question was choreographed by Phoenix Rising team member purelyqing.

Answer: Hulk Hogan

Now known as WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), this operation began in 1952 as Capitol Wrestling Corp. Ltd. under the guidance of Jess McMahon and Toots Mondt. McMahon's grandson, Vincent McMaHon Jr, took over the operation in 1980 with a vision to expand the operation aggressively. McMahon moved into syndicated broadcasting, which was a master-stroke. However, this angered the established organizations who, for decades, had operated within defined boundaries. The move was then backed up by the signing of Hulk Hogan from rival promoter American Wrestling Association (AWA). Hogan's profile had recently been boosted by his appearance in "Rocky III" (1982) and his addition to the WWF would send the company's stocks soaring. They then added Roddy Piper to act as Hogan's main rival and the increased publicity and funds soon allowed WWF to draw to their stable wrestlers of the calibre of The Iron Sheik, Ricky Steamboat, and the Junkyard Dog. The mid-1980s saw the rise of the Golden Era of wrestling and Hogan was its superstar. There are some who would argue that without Hogan the Golden Era would never have existed.

This question slammed into the turn-buckle by Phoenix Rising team member pollucci19.

Answer: NES

The North American home video game market in 1983 was oversaturated by consoles and poor quality games, and it was facing competition from the burgeoning home computer market. Many investors and industry insiders saw console games as a passing fad. When the bubble burst in 1983, it was the end of the Golden Age in North American console gaming. The recession hit hard and lasted for at least two years. When Nintendo capitalized on the success of its Famicom system in Japan by introducing the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) to the United States in 1985, the critics were dubious. But over the next two years, the NES slowly gained in popularity and effectively ushered in a renaissance in the industry.

This question was developed by Phoenix Rising team member JCSon.

Answer: They could bounce like rubber

"Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears" was produced by Walt Disney Animation Television and was aired in the United States in the second half of the 1980s. In the cartoon, the Gummi Bears that live in a forest brew a potion from wild gummiberries. Drinking the potion in times of danger allowed them for a limited time to bounce to and from unusual heights without harm, thereby enabling them to escape their enemies.

This question was sprung by Phoenix Rising team member purelyqing.

Answer: Celine Dion

Born in Canada in 1968, Celine released her first recording in 1981 and, prior to her success at the 1988 Eurovision, she was only a noted performer amongst French-speaking nations. After 1988, she began to record her songs in English and international stardom soon followed.

In what was one of the most exciting finishes ever in Eurovision, the United Kingdom, for whom Scott Fitzgerald sang "Go", led Switzerland 133 points to 118 and, with only three countries left to vote, appeared to have the title in their keeping. The voting, however, turned fickle. The UK, who garnered high marks early in the voting, were now struggling to win votes. In the third last card France awarded Switzerland one point but gave the UK nothing. The score now: United Kingdom 133, Switzerland 119. Next were Portugal, who gave the UK three points but awarded the maximum twelve points to Switzerland; (136 points to 131). The last card was that of Yugoslavia's and they awarded Switzerland six points. Murmurs spread across the room as the Swiss now held a one-point lead. All was hush until the last votes were read out and it dawned on the crowd that the UK had failed to poll a vote on the last card.

This question was composed by Phoenix Rising team member pollucci19.

Answer: Joy Division

The introduction of MTV in the 80s changed the face of popular music forever. The demise of Disco and Punk Rock in the very early '80s gave way to New Wave music acts such as Elvis Costello and Talking Heads. New Romantic music was a sub-genre with '70s Glam Rock influences from David Bowie and Roxy Music. Synthesizers featured heavily, as did a heavy visual presence that made for good television via MTV. UK bands like Duran Duran, Yazoo, Ultravox, and Flock of Seagulls were successful examples of the genre, with Flock of Seagulls' "I Ran" being the archetype of this era's music.

Joy Division ("Love Will Tear Us Apart") were inspired by the punk rock of Sex Pistols. Whilst commercially successful in the late '70s, Joy Division had many characteristics of a punk band. When Ian Curtis took his own life in early 1980, the band disbanded as agreed post Mr Curtis' death. Some members formed a new group called New Order which ironically combined post-punk with electronic and dance music to form an almost New Romantic sound ("Blue Monday").

This question was synthesized by Phoenix Rising team member 1nn1.

Answer: The Mirage

The resort was built by developer Steve Wynn, who'd created what was, at that time, the largest hotel in the world. Comprising 29 stories, the hotel boasted 3,044 rooms on opening. The initial idea was to name the hotel The Golden Nugget in line with an older development that Wynn owned in downtown Las Vegas. Figuring that this would create an identity issue for his new hotel and that it wouldn't fit the South Pacific theme that he had in mind, Wynn opted for The Mirage as his alternative. However, there were two other operations in the city that also used the name, namely the La Mirage Casino and the Mirage Motel. Wynn persuaded both to change their names and provided each of them $250,000 in compensation. Some of the major attractions at the resort include the Siegfried and Roy Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat, the "Bare" poolside lounge where guests are able to go topless, the Cirque du Soleil production of "LOVE", and a large artificial volcano that erupts every night at 7 pm and 8 pm.

The dice was rolled on this question for Phoenix Rising by team member pollucci19.