What’s So Funny About Trivia?

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Photo courtesy of Rusty Drinkswell

Rusty Drinkswell

Rusty Drinkswell hosting a Milwaukee-themed trivia night.

A love of a wide array of funny stuff informs Rusty Drinkswell's “Trivia about Comedy” nights at the Laughing Tap. 

 “I’ve always liked funny things, sitcoms, movies, stand-up, cartoons, and so on… not one more than the other," says the former employee of Great Lakes Distillery. He got his comedic start professionally asking people about extraneous knowledge, though about booze, as the distillery’s brand ambassador. His next gig to grill comedy aficionados about what gets them guffawing will be 7 p.m. Tuesday, September 15. But Drinkswell won't necessarily be attempting to generate any giggles with his own shtick. 

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Photo courtesy of Rusty Drinkswell/The Laughing Tap

Trivia about Comedy - The Laughing Tap

A team's table at Trivia about Comedy night at The Laughing Tap.

Drinkswell says of his show, “The original name, ‘Comedy Trivia,’ was changed to ‘Trivia about Comedy’ in hopes to convey that I, as a host, will not be attempting to be the funny man on stage. There is humor involved though: light shaming of poorly answered questions, silly questions, having a 'rubber chicken round,’ where the questions are all about rubber or chickens, and incorporating quotes from films and stand-up specials that will get a laugh or two.” He even has hope of incorporating video clips into his querying about matters comedic. But he won't be occupying the Laughing Tap spotlight doing any of that.   

“No stage for this guy!” Drinkswell declares, adding, “I’ll be working the floor, collecting answer (trivia answer) slips, and chatting guests up." He plans, however, on living up to his alias (you thought Drinkswell is his real name?!) by nursing one beverage or another throughout the evening.”

Lovely Cocktails

He continues, “Good Land Liqueurs from Great Lakes Distillery is the sponsor and many lovely cocktails will be available featuring the many flavors they make. For myself though, I will be starting the session with a few nice tappers of Lakefront beer, with a glass of Rehorst gin on the rocks certainly finding its way into my hands before the session ends.” 

And, just as will be imbibing a variety of drinks, Drinkswell will be asking about a generous swath of comedic subjects... with a theme.

“The next session is themed ‘Back in the ‘90s’—I wrote some 'very famous trivia,' which is a nod to the ending song from ‘BoJack Horseman.’ A good amount of questions will involve stand up specials, sitcoms and movies from the 1990s, with other more general questions mixed in. Questions involving stand-up comedians are usually, but not always, about appearances in other media. You are more likely to be asked what Dave Chappel’s character's name was in Half Baked, as opposed to what city ‘Killin’ Them Softly’ was recorded in." 

Clinton Era Humor

Though his next trivia session will focus largely on humor during the Clinton administration, Drinkswell's reserve of comedy knowledge goes back much further.

“There have been questions about the 1959 Grammys, all the way up to who hosted SNL a few days ago. I have not asked a Laurel and Hardy question yet, but it's a-‘comin’!” And considering the Laughing Tap is venue for adults, it should be no surprise that Drinkswell's language and the verbiage of topics he asks about can be commensurately mature. 

Asked about the movie rating he would give his act, he offers, “Soft R? I tend to read the room a little before knowing if I want to ask a question involving the best dialog sequence in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, what Miles Raymond (of the movie Sideways) thinks of Merlot, or the title of Season 6, Episode 6 of ‘Veep.’”   

Of the competition he faced over the summer, Drinkswell observes, “We had a few nights to test the waters, but, going up against Jazz in the Park and Milwaukee’s prolific festival schedule as a whole seemed to dampen attendance at some of the Thursday sessions in early summer. Fall is upon us though, and Tuesday is expected to be a better fit for the parties involved, with the hope of one session per month.”

Prizes for the Teams

Apart from what bodes to be an enjoyable time among fellow comedy lovers, potential attendees have the additional incentive of their team, of no more than six members, receiving prizes. And appropriate prizes they are, considering the event's promotional artwork. 

“Chicken pens! We have pens that look like chickens!” Drinkswell adds in a less excited tone, “Also, gift cards and vouchers for future shows.” 

For anyone not yet convinced to give his Laughing Tap night a try, he encourages, “Come on out to trivia, it’s a fun-filled coupla’ hours of questions that garner warm nostalgia, deep memory dives, new know involved hosting and range of topics covered is a crowd pleaser for all in attendance, especially with a beverage or two along the way!”