News Quiz

No. 68: “I’m a Believer”

No. 68: “I’m a Believer”

By Randy Cohen

Fill in the blank.

House Majority Leader Dick Armey found common ground with Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott yesterday, noting,”Both myself and Sen. Lott believe very strongly in _________.”

by noon ET Thursday to e-mail your answer (newsquiz@slate.com).

Responses to Tuesday’s question (No. 67)–“Feelings”:

“You know, it’s a gut feeling. It’s just a feeling I have. When I walked away the first time, it was a feeling. It wasn’t something someone told me. When I came back, it was a feeling.”

Who said this about what?

“This is the Book of Exodus, Moses visiting Mount Sinai, in The Bible for Dummies.”–Fred Graver

“I said this to the lawyer interviewing me for jury duty. I was explaining how I always know, without ever listening to a word at the trial, whether a defendant is guilty–just by looking at his shoes.”–Patty Marx

“Chevy Chase, on his decision, spurred by the success of Magic Johnson, to start his talk show again.”–Merrill Markoe

“Peter Roget, on the usefulness of a thesaurus.”–Ken Novak

“My gut feeling is that this is Jesus, talking about how he feels in his gut that you should trust your gut feeling and NOT the loud, bossy voice in your head.”–Bill Franzen

“Michael Jordan, sorting through his emotions on showering with other men.”–Beth Sherman

“Michael Jordan, on his decision to join the U.S. World Cup soccer team in time for its game this Sunday against Iran. ‘I figure soccer’s got to be easier than baseball, because you don’t have to worry about what to do with your hands. Say, you think Nike makes soccer shoes?’ “–Andrew “Not Much Like Mike” Solovay

Click for more responses.

Randy’s Wrap-Up

It is heartening to see Slate readers at the forefront of the Michael Jordan backlash. (Click for more contempt.) The gist: Revere Jordan the brilliant basketball player; revile Jordan the corporate shill. His Chicago Bulls, of course, just won the NBA World Championship, a geographical designation encompassing the United States of America and a sliver of Canada. Jordan himself is on the NBA’s list of the 50 greatest players of all time, an epoch extending back about 50 years, to just after World War II, when the NBA was formed. Such a roster is necessarily subjective, almost as subjective as Time magazine’s endless series of special issues celebrating the 100 Greatest Great Things of All Time in the Whole World. These lists are frivolous, arbitrary, and intellectually offensive. And I’m astonished it’s taken “News Quiz” this long to construct one. To play along, see below.

Double Three-Peat Answer

As nearly all of you know, Jordan was responding to a question about his plans for retirement, having led the Bulls to their sixth NBA championship. “Walked away the first time” refers to his temporary move to professional baseball and has nothing to do with backing away from responsibility for working conditions at Nike.

Vote … Vote … Vote … Extra:

Best Pictures Ignored by Those AFI Saps

Worst Pictures Praised by Those AFI Saps

Last night, in a six hour special featuring the insightful comments of Brooke Shields, the American Film Institute presented its list of the 100 best American films of all time. Such a roster must include some movies one hates and exclude others one loves. But this list seems particularly fatuous, including Schindler’s List, Forrest Gump, Dances With Wolves, and Rocky, and excluding every Preston Sturges, every Hepburn-Tracy, every Fred Astaire. Among those scorned:

His Girl Friday, Touch of Evil, Sullivan’s Travels, The Producers, The Great McGinty, Pat and Mike, The Lady Eve, Adam’s Rib, Holiday, Woman of the Year, My Man Godfrey, The Awful Truth, Twentieth Century, The Postman Always Rings Twice, The Magnificent Seven, Sweet Smell of Success, Funny Face, The Pawn Broker, The Man Who Would Be King, A Face in the Crowd, Paths of Glory, Ninotchka, Stalag 17, Cool Hand Luke, Gunga Din, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf

Your Vote Counts:

Participants are encouraged to submit suggestions for the best American movies ignored by the AFI and for the worst movies honored by the AFI. (Check local papers for the AFI 100.) News Quiz will post the results next week.

Disclaimer: All submissions will become the property of Slate and will be published at Slate’s discretion. Slate may publish your name on its site in connection with your submission.