Transcript 10/25/11 - Laraine Conte

[BBTranscriptTeam]

Laraine Conte
Ewing, NJ
Mammogram technician

Meredith says that Laraine has seen a lot of boobs in her time. Laraine also likes to follow her horoscope; today it said it was a good day and to follow her heart.

Laraine's sister, Theresa, is in the audience.

Topic Tree (Unrandomized)
10: Bathing Beauties
9: Funny Finale
8: Monthly Question
7: Nice Landscape
6: Budget Budge
5: Quiet Ride
4: Comic Tendencies
3: Raising Funds
2: Unemployed Host
1: Magnetic Poetry

Topic Tree (Randomized)
9: Funny Finale
10: Bathing Beauties
7: Nice Landscape
1: Magnetic Poetry
4: Comic Tendencies
2: Unemployed Host
3: Raising Funds
8: Monthly Question
6: Budget Budge
5: Quiet Ride


Question #1 - Level 5: Quiet Ride
On its list of the "Top 10 Cars of 2011," Popular Mechanics magazine noted what car model's "faint electronic hums"?

A: Toyota Sienna B: Ford Fiesta
C: Chevrolet Volt D: Hyundai Sonata

Laraine begins to say

Spoiler

Chevrolet Volt

, but she doesn't want to get the first one wrong, so she asks the audience.

ATA

A: 4% B: 4% C: 88% D: 4%

Answer/Value/Bank

C: Chevrolet Volt
Question Value: $7,000
Bank: $7,000

Question #2 - Level 6: Budget Budge
The last time the federal budget was balanced and there was no federal deficit was during what President's administration?

A: Ronald Reagan B: Bill Clinton
C: George H.W. Bush D: Jimmy Carter

Answer/Value/Bank

B: Bill Clinton
Question Value: $3,000
Bank: $10,000

Question #3 - Level 8: Monthly Question
In the phonetic alphabet used by the military, which begins "alpha, bravo, charlie," what is the only monty of the year that represents a letter?

A: February B: March
C: November D: July

Laraine doesn't have any idea, so she has to jump this question.

Answer/Value/Bank

C: November
Question Value: $10,000
Bank: $10,000

Question #4 - Level 3: Raising Funds
In the 1880s, Joseph Pulitzer led a campaign to raise funds to literally put what famous "person" on a pedestal?

A: The Discus Thrower B: Lady Justice
C: The Thinker D: Lady Liberty

Laraine doesn't know and doesn't want to guess, so she has to jump this question.

Answer/Value/Bank

D: Lady Liberty
Question Value: $100
Bank: $10,000

Question #5 - Level 2: Unemployed Host
On one of the final episodes of his show in 2011, who said, "Unemployment is as an all time high, and for Latinos it just got a little higher"?

A: Jimmy Kimmel B: George Lopez
C: Conan O'Brien D: Craig Ferguson

Answer/Value/Bank

B: George Lopez
Question Value: $15,000
Bank: $25,000

-- Commercial Break --


With at least part of the money, Laraine wants to something nice for her father, James, who is 95 years old. He's a lifelong Yankees fan, so she wants to take him to the new Yankees Stadium.


Question #6 - Level 4: Comic Tendencies
What cartoonist is commonly credited with coining the phrase "security blanket"?

A: Scott Adams B: Charles Schulz
C: Garry Trudeau D: Gary Larson

Answer/Value/Bank

B: Charles Schulz
Question Value: $5,000
Bank: $30,000

Question #7 - Level 1: Magnetic Poetry
"Plunder," "matey" and "yo ho ho" are all terms featured in a Magnetic Poetry Kit dedicated to what figure?

A: Astronaut B: Vampire
C: Pirate D: Cowboy

Answer/Value/Bank

C: Pirate
Question Value: $25,000
Bank: $55,000

Question #8 - Level 7: Nice Landscape
Visitors to Giverny, France, can see the Japanese bridge and water garden that inspired what famed impressionist painter?

A: Claude Monet B: Edgar Degas
C: Vincent van Gogh D: Mary Cassatt

Answer/Value/Bank

A: Claude Monet
Question Value: $500
Bank: $55,500

Question #9 - Level 10: Bathing Beauties
A place where people and penguins sunbathe within walking distance of one another, Boulders Beach is located in what country?

A: Tasmania B: Chile
C: South Africa D: Fiji

Laraine knows that

Spoiler

Chile

is a long way towards Antartica, so there would be penguins there, but that also true for

Spoiler

South Africa

. She's thinking

Spoiler

South Africa

.

Meredith: Look, if you guess and you're right, it's terrific. If you guess and you're wrong, would you feel like one of those boobs?

Laraine: Yes, I would.

Laraine walks away with $27,750.

Answer

C: South Africa

-- Commercial Break --

[earendel]

Laraine Conte
Ewing, NJ
Mammogram technician

Meredith says that Laraine has seen a lot of boobs in her time. Laraine also likes to follow her horoscope; today it said it was a good day and to follow her heart.

Laraine's sister, Theresa, is in the audience.

Question #1 - Level 5: Quiet Ride
On its list of the "Top 10 Cars of 2011," Popular Mechanics magazine noted what car model's "faint electronic hums"?

A: Toyota Sienna B: Ford Fiesta
C: Chevrolet Volt D: Hyundai Sonata

Laraine begins to say

Spoiler

Chevrolet Volt

, but she doesn't want to get the first one wrong, so she asks the audience.

ATA

A: 4% B: 4% C: 88% D: 4%

Answer/Value/Bank

C: Chevrolet Volt
Question Value: $7,000
Bank: $7,000

It's hard to resist but I'll not make a "boob" reference here. She should have gone with her instinct.

Question #2 - Level 6: Budget Budge
The last time the federal budget was balanced and there was no federal deficit was during what President's administration?

A: Ronald Reagan B: Bill Clinton
C: George H.W. Bush D: Jimmy Carter

Answer/Value/Bank

B: Bill Clinton
Question Value: $3,000
Bank: $10,000

What's the over/under on how long it will take before this thread gets hijacked by a political debate over the federal budget?

Question #4 - Level 3: Raising Funds
In the 1880s, Joseph Pulitzer led a campaign to raise funds to literally put what famous "person" on a pedestal?

A: The Discus Thrower B: Lady Justice
C: The Thinker D: Lady Liberty

Laraine doesn't know and doesn't want to guess, so she has to jump this question.

Answer/Value/Bank

D: Lady Liberty
Question Value: $100
Bank: $10,000

In honor of the 125th anniversary of the SoL Webcams are being installed in the torch so that people can get panoramic views of the harbor.

With at least part of the money, Laraine wants to something nice for her father, James, who is 95 years old. He's a lifelong Yankees fan, so she wants to take him to the new Yankees Stadium.

Someone in the audience booed when she said this.

Question #8 - Level 7: Nice Landscape
Visitors to Giverny, France, can see the Japanese bridge and water garden that inspired what famed impressionist painter?

A: Claude Monet B: Edgar Degas
C: Vincent van Gogh D: Mary Cassatt

Answer/Value/Bank

A: Claude Monet
Question Value: $500
Bank: $55,500

I wonder if the category title was "Nice" (as in the city in France) as opposed to "nice".

Question #9 - Level 10: Bathing Beauties
A place where people and penguins sunbathe within walking distance of one another, Boulders Beach is located in what country?

A: Tasmania B: Chile
C: South Africa D: Fiji

Laraine knows that

Spoiler

Chile

is a long way towards Antartica, so there would be penguins there, but that also true for

Spoiler

South Africa

. She's thinking

Spoiler

South Africa

.

Meredith: Look, if you guess and you're right, it's terrific. If you guess and you're wrong, would you feel like one of those boobs?

Laraine: Yes, I would.

Laraine walks away with $27,750.

Answer

C: South Africa

If she hadn't wasted the lifeline on the first question she might have been able to get past this one.

[MarleysGh0st]

Question #8 - Level 7: Nice Landscape
Visitors to Giverny, France, can see the Japanese bridge and water garden that inspired what famed impressionist painter?

A: Claude Monet B: Edgar Degas
C: Vincent van Gogh D: Mary Cassatt

Answer/Value/Bank

A: Claude Monet
Question Value: $500
Bank: $55,500

I wonder if the category title was "Nice" (as in the city in France) as opposed to "nice".

Since Giverny is in the direction of Normandy, that wouldn't make much sense.

[CarShark]

I love how her horoscope tells her to follow her heart, and on the first question she doubts herself into using a lifeline. What is it about the first question that causes the modern Millionaire contestant such fear? You can't llama out anymore...or can you? Have we heard anything about the removal of the $1,000 consolation prize, or was that debunked?

[MarleysGh0st]

I love how her horoscope tells her to follow her heart, and on the first question she doubts herself into using a lifeline. What is it about the first question that causes the modern Millionaire contestant such fear? You can't llama out anymore...or can you? Have we heard anything about the removal of the $1,000 consolation prize, or was that debunked?

Although Meredith isn't verbally mentioning the consolation prize, it's still being indicated on the screen graphic. The problem with the first question fear, though, is with the randomization of the question difficulty. Part of what was accomplished when they started off with the easiest questions was that the contestants could ease into the game. They knew that first question was supposed to be a piece of cake (llamas over the alps excepted) so they could answer without much hesitation. Now, that first one can be the most difficult of the first tier; even if they'd leave with the same consolation prize that they'd have if they missed it after answering several of them, it's psychologically worse to think about when they've just started and haven't had a chance to do anything, yet.

[chad1m]

What is it about the first question that causes the modern Millionaire contestant such fear?

It's never fun to turn into a YouTube sensation.
When I played my game, I knew that the contestant immediately before me (whose game has yet to air) did poorly, so I did not want to become a one-question wonder like he did. I used my lifeline on something I wasn't positive on that I knew the audience would know to make sure I would continue the game.
It's cliché, I know, but it's different when you're up on stage. It really is.