"Baby Got Back" for Intellectuals Quiz

Answer: Anthony Ray

Compositionally, Sir Mix-a-Lot is a disciple of the Miami bass school of composition, notable for its use of drum machines and distinctive lyrical themes, of which "Baby Got Back" is a prime exemplar.

Answer: Gluteus maximus

The Gluteus maximus is characteristically the largest muscle in the human body. It maintains the trunk in an upright posture and extends the femur into line with the rest of the body. It has also been known to exert a pronounced psychological effect on observers when in the proper proportion and orientation.

Answer: Mercedes-Benz

With roots going back to the founding of Benz & Cie in 1871, the Mercedes-Benz make is one of the most prestigious in the auto industry. Since 1998, it has been produced by the multinational firm of Daimler/Chrysler.

Answer: Full Metal Jacket

This movie featured R. Lee Ermey, a real Marine drill instructor, in the role of Gny. Sgt. Hartman. Ermey was originally brought in strictly as a consultant, but so impressed Kubrick that he was cast in a breakout role. The sampled portion, however, is spoken by British actress Papillon Soo, playing a Vietnamese courtesan.

Answer: silicone

In the 1990s ruptured implants made of silicone were alleged to be responsible for a number of health problems in women who had them, particularly auto immune diseases. More skeptical research has failed to find a statistical correlation between ruptured implants and these health problems, however, and the United States Food and Drug Administration has given guarded approval for their continued use.

Answer: Track and Field

The dominant women's sprinter of her era, Florence Griffith-Joyner won the 100-meter and 200-meter events at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul , South Korea. She was also a member of the 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relay teams at those Olympics, capturing Gold and Silver medals in those events, respectively.

She had previously won a silver medal in the 200-meter event at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Later in her career, she designed the uniforms for the NBA's Indiana Pacers. Tragically, she passed away from a freak accident involving an grand mal seizure in her sleep in 1998.

Answer: Cosmopolitan and Playboy

Sir Mix-a-Lot takes on large venerable targets here. "Playboy" was established in 1953, while "Cosmopolitan" goes back to 1886.

NOTE: some browsers with extremely sensitive filters have been known to block the word "Playboy". If this has happened to you, sorry - I owe you ten points.

Answer: Jane Fonda

Though very successful in film, Fonda may be better known for her anti-Vietnam War work (which saw her claim that US prisoners of war were lying about the brutal conditions they faced) and for her best-selling exercise videos.

Answer: Anaconda

This constricting snake has been known to achieve a length of nine meters, though some believe that much longer specimens exist. The species gave its name to the 1997 film starring, appropriately enough, Jennifer Lopez.

Answer: The Grammy Award

Sir Mix-a-lot received a well-deserved Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance in 1993. Full lyrics (which do carry a parental advisory) can be found at:
http://www.lyricwiki.org/Sir_Mix-A-Lot:Baby_Got_Back