THEQUIZSHOWS

Carl Barks took a satirical view of many things and occasionally gave us enjoyable or harsh commentaries on several subjects in his comic book stories (see The Satirist). One of his favourites seems to have been the type of quiz shows that were attracting wide audiences in the USA half a century ago. The networks were broadcasting all sorts of silly and mind-numbing quizzes on radio and TV, and Barks parodied the phenomenon.

WDCS099 'The Radio Hall Quiz Show' - 1948

Donald and the nephews storm the Radio Hall in order to earn big and easy money on a quiz show. They are treated totally differently by the quizmaster: Donald is given impossible questions followed by a punishment, while the nephews are given easy questions followed by a prize.

QUIZMASTER		THE DUCKS
How many kilowatts in a freedoffagraph?
		Donald: What's a freedoffagraph? (Punishment: A grapefruit smashed on the head.)
How many tails does a dog have?
		Nephew 1: Depends on the dog! (Prize: A bicycle.)
What is Mickey Mouse's Social Security Number?
		Donald: ??? (Punishment: A smack in the bottom.)
How many eggs in a dozen eggs?
		Nephew 2: A dozen! (Prize: A bicycle.)
What is two minus two?
		Nephew 3: ??? (Quizmaster: You've said nothing! The answer happens to be nothing! You win!) (Prize: A bicycle.)
How many drops of water pass over Niagara Falls in a week?
		Donald: Nine trillion multipadillion, six hundred and eighty-six squadrificillion, fifty octodecimadillion, eight hundred and sixty-three centrifipillion, nine hundred and forty overplusillion, six hundred and five duplicatillion, thirty-three impossibadillion, seven hundred and ninety-one compounded ultrafatillion, three hundred and forty super trillion, fifty-nine duper dillion, twenty-nine billion, seven hundred and fifty million, four hundred and six thousand, five hundred and thirty-three. (Quizmaster: All right! You win...) (Prize: A tricycle.)

FC0238 Voodoo Hoodoo - 1949

Bombie the Zombie has gone astray in Duckburg and winds up on the stage in a broadcasting studio where a quiz is taking place. Throughout the story Bombie doesn't say much (nothing at all, as a matter of fact!) and this scene is no exception.

QUIZMASTER		BOMBIE
What color is a red nose?
		(Total silence). (Quizmaster: Is it blue? green? red? Is a red nose red? - Did I see you wiggle your nose a little? I think I did! - The contestant wins one hundred dollars for the intelligent answer!)
If you were a clam, what would you say to the postman?
		(Utter silence). (Quizmaster: You have exactly ten seconds to come up with the jack pot answer! - Time's up! You win! You didn't say anything, and that is what the clam would say! - We give this gentleman with the tremendous brain the grand prize - the wheel-barrow full of money!

WDCS152 'The Talking Dog' - 1953

Donald watches a quiz show on TV with easy questions and decides to sign up, but it is his nephews that become contestants, because they happen to have - not a talking dog like Donald - but a cat that can sing.

QUIZMASTER		NEPHEWS
What animal can see in the dark and catches mice?
		An owl!
Wrong! You lose the thousand dollars!
The given answer is clearly acceptable, but the expected answer was 'A cat', which is also evident from Donald's reaction...

U$16 'The Quiz Show' - 1956

Scrooge signs up for a quiz show with ridiculously easy questions in order to win the easy money prizes. But shortly before he goes on the show he is informed that he must not earn a single more dollar or else he will be heavily taxed. So now he must play the ignoramus...

QUIZMASTER		SCROOGE
What is the shape of a round coin?
		I don't know!
What color is the back of a greenback?
		Gree - I don't know!
What metal is used to make silver dollars?
		Sil - I don't know!
What president's portrait is on the Lincoln penny?
		Linc - I don't know!
What date is stamped on this year's coins?
		195 - I don't know!
After having flunked the quiz miserably, Scrooge is awarded a consolation prize - the Colossalest Surprise Prize - of 120,000 dollars for being 'so outlandishly ignorant'...