Jezebel Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mata Hari

Mata Hari was a world famous Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was accused of spying for the Germans during World War I. In 1917, she was executed by a firing squad in Vincennes, France, at the age of 41. Her guilt is hotly debated.

Answer: Madame de Pompadour

Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, also known as Madame de Pompadour was a member of the French court and was the mistress of Louis XV for almost 20 years. A well-educated woman for her time, she had nevertheless been born a commoner and had only become eligible for court when the King made her the Marquise de Pompadour.

She was intensely disliked by many of those at court who felt that the king had betrayed his position by enlisting the services of a commoner. Madame de Pompadour was often blamed for Britain surpassing the French as the leading colonial power especially when she supported the 1763 Treaty of Paris which relinquished all claim over Canada to the English.

She died of tuberculosis at the age of 42.

Answer: Killed by Jack the Ripper

Elizabeth Stride is usually cited to be the 3rd victim of serial killer Jack the Ripper. Unlike many of the other victims of this unknown specter, Elizabeth Stride's only wound was slit throat. Her body was discovered within a couple minutes of her death and it is believed that the person who found her body interrupted further mutilation by the killer, who ran off at his approach. Elizabeth Stride became known to the public, not for her activities in life, but rather, for her gruesome death.

Answer: Duchess of Windsor

Upon his accession to the throne, George VI bestowed the title of Duke of Windsor upon his brother making his new wife the Duchess of Windsor. Wallis Simpson was twice divorced with two living spouses and carried on an affair with the King during her second marriage.

She was viewed as a fallen woman who was only after fortune and fame by marrying into the royal family. She was accused of being, among other things, a Nazi sympathizer, a bigot, and a woman of few morals. Upon her death, her vast collection of jewels was sold for over 45 million dollars which was donated to charity.

Answer: Heidi Fleiss

Heidi Fleiss was a former prostitute turned madam, who despite multiple federal charges, served less than three years in prison for her illegal activities. It has been estimated that she earned many millions of dollars while plying her trade to the many of the wealthy and famous in the Hollywood area.

After her release from prison, she made guest appearances on many television shows, always careful to hide the identity of her clients.

Answer: Squirrel Tooth Alice

Squirrel Tooth Alice was an example of what could happen to women in the Old West if they were taken captive by Native Americans. Taken as a child by the Comanche tribe and held for four years, she was already considered to have a tarnished reputation when she was released at the age of 13.

She turned to prostitution at the age of 14 and became one of the most famous Madams in the state of Texas. She ran her brothel until the age of 66. She was married for 24 years and had nine children, all while running her brothel.

Answer: Ahab

The Bible states that Jezebel was the wife of Ahab, the King of north Israel. She was thought to be as powerful as her husband and to have worshiped Baal. After her husband's death, she is reputed to have been murdered upon the order of the military leader Jehu.

She is said to have dressed in all her finery and used cosmetics before being thrown from a window and eaten by dogs. In some interpretations her actions led to her being associated with painted ladies also known as prostitutes and false prophets.

Answer: False

This is false. Lucy Mercer WAS the long time lover and confidante of Franklin D. Roosevelt and was with him when he died. When his wife found out about the affair she offered her husband a divorce, he declined and promised to end the affair. He carried on his relationship with his mistress for over 30 years, it ended with his death in 1945.

The Secret Service even had a code name for her, "Mrs. Johnson". She carried on this affair even after she herself had married.

Answer: U.S.A.

Monica Lewinsky's affair with American President Bill Clinton almost led to his resignation in 1998. Monica Lewinsky was immediately cast as "the other woman" in this public debacle. In spite of trying to avoid the media, to some extent, her reputation was ruined.

After it was over she tried to work in the media but then went back to school. Her youthful dalliance earned her a position in the history books as a "fallen woman".

Answer: False

Sydney Biddle Barrows was a wealthy 20th century American known as the "Mayflower Madam". The term "Mayflower" came from the claim that she was a descendent of some of the original occupants of The Mayflower, a ship that brought some of the original European settlers over from England.

Her escort service was forcibly closed down in 1984 and she was charged with promoting prostitution. She wrote an autobiography called "Mayflower Madam" and was portrayed in the 1984 movie based on her book by actress Candice Bergen. Sydney, Australia was named after Thomas Townshend, Lord Sydney in 1788 by Captain James Cook.