Spring 2012 Tournament
The dead shall rise! In this tournament, whenever an odd number of players remains, a defeated player will return as a "zombie" to challenge the top-seeded player. If successful, they'll gain full re-entry into the tournament. This time, it's not over until it's over.
Skrillex
publication date: Tuesday, May 29, 2012
category: 
Music
clue: This musician has come a long way since adopting his AIM name professionally.
explanation: Skrillex, aka Sonny Moore, was a dubstep performer who chose his stage name from his AOL Instant Messenger account. He began making his aggressive style of music after discovering that he was adopted, hinted at in the clue. more…
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Justin Woods, Erik Bates, and Aaron Shurtleff
trivia: Several players guessed Andrew Turner, who performed under the stage name Aim. Several sources cited the name "Skrillex" as his former email handle. The only time he said it himself in an interview (that Scott could find), he said it was his AIM alias, so Scott used that for the clue.
Bethenny Frankel
publication date: Monday, May 28, 2012
category: 
Television
clue: Her frank depiction of New York life has made her into a household name.
explanation: Frankel starred in The Real Housewives of New York and other reality shows. more…
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Erik Bates, Steve Dunn, Aaron Shurtleff, and Tony Peters
Richard Branson
publication date: Friday, May 25, 2012
category: 
Business
clue: He takes special care with first-time customers.
explanation: Branson was the owner of Virgin Group, which included hundreds of businesses including Virgin Mobile and Virgin Airways. more…
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, Justin Woods, Matthew Preston, Erik Bates, Steve Dunn, and Aaron Shurtleff
Kimbra
publication date: Thursday, May 24, 2012
category: Music
clue: Her quick appearance in an Australian Frenchman's song has strengthened her own career.
explanation: Kimbra appeared in the song "Somebody That I Used to Know" by Gotye, an Australian man who performed under the French version of his name (Wouter/Gautier). She also sang "Cameo Lover" ("quick appearance"). more…
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Justin Woods, Matthew Preston, Erik Bates, Mike Rothstein, Steve Dunn, and Aaron Shurtleff
Sara Blakely
publication date: Wednesday, May 23, 2012
category: Business
clue: This billionaire is shaping up to be quite an influential figure in American fashion.
explanation: Blakely founded Spanx, a billion-dollar company that manufactures figure-shaping undergarments. more…
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Matthew Preston, Erik Bates, Mike Rothstein, Steve Dunn, Aaron Shurtleff, Tony Peters, and Lori Lancaster
Patricia Krentcil
publication date: Tuesday, May 22, 2012
category: 
Controversy
clue: "Tanned" and "banned" describe this obsessed New Jersey mother.
explanation: Krentcil made headlines in 2012 for being banned from dozens of tanning salons and being arrested for child endangerment for trying to tan her 5-year-old daughter. more…
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Denise Sawicki, Matthew Preston, Joanna Woods, Erik Bates, Mike Rothstein, Steve Dunn, Aaron Shurtleff, Tony Peters, Lori Lancaster, and Shawn Brandt
player landmarks: This was the last goo solved by Shawn Brandt.
Octavia Spencer
publication date: Monday, May 21, 2012
category: 
Movies
clue: She didn't need any help winning an Oscar.
explanation: In 2012, Spencer won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in The Help. more…
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Denise Sawicki, Matthew Preston, Erik Bates, Mike Rothstein, Steve Dunn, Aaron Shurtleff, Tony Peters, Ryan Dunn, Lori Lancaster, and Shawn Brandt
trivia: This goo was originally created for the "Modern Woman" theme. Scott decided to change that theme to feature five women who weren't widely known before 2012.
Markus Persson
publication date: Friday, May 18, 2012
category: 
Games
clue: This developer has mined a lot of respect for sharing his wealth with his employees.
explanation: Persson developed Minecraft with his company Mojang. He donated his 2011 stock dividend of $3 million to employees of the company. more…
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, LaVonne Lemler, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Matthew Preston, Joanna Woods, Erik Bates, Mike Rothstein, Steve Dunn, Aaron Shurtleff, and Lori Lancaster
Gloria Allred
publication date: Thursday, May 17, 2012
category: 
Justice
clue: From Nicole Brown to Sharon Bialek, women have been well-represented, and well-publicized, by this attorney.
explanation: Allred was a lawyer who specialized in representing women in civil suits against employers and harassers. Courting controversy and press attention was part of her technique. more…
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Denise Sawicki, Matthew Preston, Joanna Woods, Erik Bates, Mike Rothstein, Steve Dunn, Aaron Shurtleff, Tony Peters, and Lori Lancaster
Tim Lincecum
publication date: Wednesday, May 16, 2012
category: 
Sports
clue: This athlete's super-powers on the mound have nothing to do with his resemblance to the Avengers villain.
explanation: Lincecum was a multi-talented pitcher who resembled Loki from The Avengers. more…
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Matthew Preston, Joanna Woods, Erik Bates, Mike Rothstein, Steve Dunn, Aaron Shurtleff, Ryan Dunn, and Jason Lemler
Sofía Vergara
publication date: Tuesday, May 15, 2012
category: Television
clue: Her real family has faced big trouble, and not just recently.
explanation: Vergara starred in Big Trouble and Modern Family. She has lost two brothers to drug addiction and crime. more…
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Matthew Preston, Joanna Woods, Erik Bates, Mike Rothstein, Steve Dunn, Aaron Shurtleff, Ryan Dunn, Jon Berry, and Jason Lemler
player landmarks: This was the last goo solved by Jon Berry.
Seth Grahame-Smith
publication date: Monday, May 14, 2012
category: 
Literature
clue: Hollywood's hottest new horror writer started his career modestly, by "improving" upon Jane Austen.
explanation: Grahame-Smith's first novel was Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. His films Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (based on his novel) and Dark Shadows were both released in 2012. more…
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Denise Sawicki, Matthew Preston, Joanna Woods, Erik Bates, Mike Rothstein, Steve Dunn, Aaron Shurtleff, Ryan Dunn, Lori Lancaster, and Jon Berry
trivia: It was a coincidence that this goo began a tournament featuring "zombie players" reactivated after defeat. Scott didn't realize the connection until the goo was already published.
Other Themes in Spring 2012
Life After Death
Just as spring follows winter, new life can follow death. To commemorate the addition of zombie players to the game, here are five celebrities who achieved significant success posthumously. Go »
Super Maximum
Life a real-life Arkham Asylum, the most famous villains of the United States are jailed in the super-maximum-security facility in Florence, Colorado, home of mobsters, gang leaders, drug lords, terrorists, and various enemies of state, including these five goos. Go »
Double Trouble
Most celebrities have non-famous siblings, but twins who achieve fame in the same field are especially rare. Have twice the fun this week guessing these five pairs of famous twins. Both names are required for your guess to be correct. Go »
Go Ahead, Make His Day
Once a star of macho action pictures, Clint Eastwood began directing movies in 1971 and has become one of America's most celebrated film-makers. These goos are inspired by five of his movies, both recent and classic. Are you feeling lucky? Go »
Eight-Legged Freaks
Do spiders make you squeamish? This theme may not be for you. This week, five goos inspired by arachnids are waiting for you to get trapped in their page on the Web. Go »
When in Rome
The ancient Romans founded one of the greatest empires of antiquity, excelling in government, war, arts, and general decadence. Get in a time machine and spend this week identifying some of the major figures of the Roman era. Go »
The Modern Woman
2012 has not been easy for women so far, as these five controversial ladies can attest. Each one made headlines, for better or worse, in the first few months of this year. Go »
Men are from Mars
The fourth planet from the Sun has long held the fascination of men, especially these five, who will forever be associated with the red planet. There's a reason why both Mars and men share the symbol ♂. Go »
Goo Noir 2
It feels good to be back in black! Ever since the original noir genre tapered off in the 1950s, writers and filmmakers have kept returning to the dark theme. These five goos are famous for their work in neo-noir. Go »
Meow Mix
It's the final week of the regular season, and your last chance to save up nine lives. Can you identify these five celebrities with feline names? Real winners don't rely on performance-enhancing drugs like catnip. Go »
