It’s lovely to see you listeners help each other. Nicole from Santa Barbara, California has written with reassurance for Concerned from Hebden Bridge from AMT238, who was worried that he would faint at the sight of a new human being worming its way out of his wife. Nicole says:
My husband is also notoriously squeamish: when he was younger, he fainted putting eye drops in his eyes, and also nearly fainted during our first ultrasound too–it was the swing inside me and the word “yolk sac” that did it.
We went to the labour classes and he had to walk out of the room during almost all of the videos for fear of fainting. I knew it was going to be tough for him during the actual labour, so we planned ahead of time that he’d be sitting at my head, facing the computer screen that showed my heartbeat and contractions.
The doctors made him leave the room when it was time for my epidural (because a lot of fathers-to-be faint then), and walked out twice during the actual labour, but he was able to be next to me for the important part. Our arrangement worked well, he didn’t see anything except my face and a beeping line on a computer until the doctors handed him our son (all cleaned up). No fainting!
Hooray! So plan ahead, Concerned, and if you think that your wife’s pained screaming face might trigger your swooning switch, ask her to wear a mask – you can get a classic old Spitting Image one of John Major on eBay.
Hey guys! Remember when we…? And that time when…? And that thing where…? Ah, good times. So many good times! Please join us in reliving half of them in The Best of Answer Me This! 2012 – Part I:
This classic episode is available to BUY NOW for just £1.99 at the Answer Me This! Store, through a secure server, without DRM restriction. CLICK HERE to find out more and support our podcast. (This helps keep our most recent episodes free)
In which we reacquaint ourselves with such beloved old friends as:
The Elves and the Shoemaker
Fabio and Fabio
Hong King Disney
nurse fantasies
the Elgin Marbles
PATP
the seawater cure
Will.I.Am’s nursery rhymes
Pink Lady apples
sexy snowgirls
mad neighbours
bloody Big Bird and dead Kes
Helen’s childhood crush on Inspector Morse
Olly’s kidney
and
Martin the Sound Man’s blue girlfriend.
Plus: drunk callers! Parping! D*ve from Sm*thw*ck!!! And if you enjoyed the assemblage of previously unheard material, ie the blooper reel, you can hear more of that sort of thing every week if you obtain the AMT app for your iDevices and Android.
Join us again next Thursday for the second half of our annual retrospective, and do also supply us with QUESTIONS for AMT 2013. Email them to answermethispodcast@googlemail.com or leave voicemails on the Question Line by calling 0208 123 5877 or Skype ID answermethis.
Here is a question of Christmas and crafts from Elizabeth:
I am in college and very poor. So instead of giving presents I bought at a shop for Christmas, I give homemade presents. Answer me this: how do I know if my friends and family enjoy the gifts or if they are just being polite?
Even with presents you have bought at a shop, you cannot truly know. Of course, when you’ve invested your time, skill and artistry into the present, those doubts can be even harder to vanquish. A clue is whether the recipients are still keeping the items prominently displayed around the house by Easter.
Readers, what do you think? If someone gives you a home-made object, do you treasure it for the uniqueness and effort, or do you curse it and its creator for not buying you a ‘proper’ present? Please inform Elizabeth in the comments.
I am biased because I don’t particularly enjoy receiving gifts any more, while I do make a lot of stupid ones for my nearest and dearest. For instance, last Christmas I gave my brother a home-made red felt lobster that was three feet long. I’m not certain that he liked it, but at least I could be sure he didn’t already have one.
Above is a photo sent to us by Stephen in Tokyo, who asks:
What is a Jewish race tongue?
I’ve attached a photo of the English version of instructions for disposing of rubbish in my building. The instructions won’t win any prizes for literary style but I can just about guess what it most of it means…except for the bit about a Jewish race tongue. What is it and how big is one? Is there a chance that I may have unwittingly disposed of one in the wrong fashion?
Readers, could you go to the comments to shed light up this? Perhaps you could feed the phrase ‘Jewish race tongue’ into Google Translate, turn it back into Japanese, and translate that properly.
Thanks to you people, I now feel more prepared for an Antipodean Christmas than a Northern Hemispherical one! Rohan writes:
Growing up in the outback, Christmas was a mixtures of both the old and the new. We have the traditional Christmas stuff but also Australian Christmas stuff such as kangaroos with Santa hats etc. Also there are Australian carols such as Rolf Harris’s ‘Six White Boomers’ (boomers is slang for large kangaroos).
Rob adds:
I laughed when you were discussing the celebration of Christmas in Oz and whether snow scenes etc were suitable ways of marking the “occasion”. I have lived in Noosa, Queensland for 5 years, previously Sydney and London for 20 years.
The snow scene here is very much the norm despite there being no resemblance to a northern hemisphere weather pattern in Dec/Jan or ever.
Below is a snap taken from Friday’s Noosa Lights switch on depicting Santa riding on a beach buggy surf life saving vehicle accompanied by four saucily dressed female helpers. Noosa is sub-tropical unlike Sydney, Melbourne or Tasmania where it does get chilly. It was 6pm and about 30c and Santa would have been sweating the proverbial weight off dressed in his garb.
About 50 metres away there is golden beach with waves rolling in, as you can see most of the public are dressed in beach gear, the entire Christmas narrative of snow, sleighs and reindeer is ridiculous in this climate but routinely appears in shop window displays.
At least in his line of work, Santa can pinch some toiletries to conceal his sweaty stench.
Following bossy Paul‘s Toronto vs. Vancouver holiday destination question in AMT240, we’ve received quite a few defences of Toronto, several recommendations for Montreal, and very little regarding Vancouver. This suggests that Vancouverites either think Vancouver is not as good as Toronto and/or Montreal, or they’re so laid back they don’t feel the need to spring to the defence of their splendid hometown. And/or they like Vancouver so much they don’t want Paul in it.
Vancouverites, if you’re reading this, by all means go to the comments to clarify the reason for your silence. Meanwhile, the Torontonians have spoken up. Andrew from Toronto sums up the qualities of the cities:
I live in Toronto, but love to visit montreal. They are all very different cities. If I were your listener, I would go to Toronto (not boring Olly!), and take an overnight trip to montreal.
Toronto is: ancient streetcars; hilarious fired mayors; grubby, wonderful, diverse Kensington market; TV trucks smashed through walls; 3 hours from Algonquin and 5 hours from Montreal; Honest Ed’s; art festivals; delicious St Lawrence market; a “little” ethni-copia: Little India, Little Italy, Little Portugal, Little Chinatown, Chinatown, Greektown; Church Street; FOOD, so much good food (just stay away from the financial district and the distillery district for it); Burgers Priest.
Montreal is: authentic bagels; Celine Dion’s smoked meat; sour Francophones who pretend not to understand English, and won’t give directions to bakeries because they feel culturally oppressed; jazz festivals; beautiful old Montreal; corrupt corrupt politians, like, Chicago corrupt; tam tam.
Vancouver is: beautiful mountains; indecipherable highway system; Stanley Park; rainy; Battlestar Galactica; pot; ridiculously expensive real estate; Skid Row; relaxed; Vij’s.
There’s a Chinatown AND a Little Chinatown? I’m booking a two-week dim sum tour in the January sales.
Next, Dani presents a considered case:
I was born and raised in Toronto, but moved to Vancouver at 19 and lived there for four years.
While in general I’m inclined to agree with Olly that Vancouver is an overall ‘nicer’ place to visit than Toronto, remember that Paul was looking for an interesting cold-weather destination. Vancouver in the winter is probably not dissimilar to the UK, with generally cold but not below freezing temperatures, lots of drizzle, and weeks on end without sunlight. (After typing all this, I realize that he might be thinking of skiing/wintersports that one might enjoy in Whistler, etc. Of course there is that. I just tend to think of the city proper when I think Vancouver)
Toronto in the winter is plenty cold, but if you plan on staying in the middle of the city, you’ll find yourself in a sea of brown, salty slush. Many of the nicer things to do in Toronto (there are some beautiful parks and great shopping districts) would frankly be kind of a downer in the middle of winter (and this coming from someone who loves the city and considers it home.)
I think if he is set on a Canadian vacation in winter, Helen’s suggestion of Montreal would be a better option. And you’d have a chance to try some real poutine! (Shut it, it’s delicious, and vastly superior to Putin on pretty much every count.)
It’s true. Poutine is corrupted by curds and gravy, whilst Putin – well, it’s difficult even to know where to start.
Brace yourselves, listeners: in Answer Me This! Episode 240, those two titans of the Northern Hemisphere, Russia and Canada, face off for the bout you’ve all been waiting for. KABOOM!!!!
Sort of.
This week we speak of:
Andy Warhol’s wig
podcatchers
Russell Brand’s dad
penis pasta
Guinness World Record adjudicators
mean mean mother-in-law
pleasing your partner’s parents
the death of Borders
holidays with Paul Daniels
and
poutine vs. Putin.
Plus: you may be surprised to hear that Olly is a one-doughnut Mann; Helen’s ex-boyfriend moved the earth for her, literally; and Martin the Sound Man unleashes his inner Sarah Palin. Watch out, world.
This week’s Bit of Crap on the App (available for iDevices and Android) is a question from Sam about Gems TV, that 24/7 diamond of entertainment.
Next week is the first half of the Best of Answer Me This! 2012, but for your chance to appear in the Best of Answer Me This! 2013, send us QUESTIONS for the new year. Email them to answermethispodcast@googlemail.com or leave voicemails on the Question Line by calling 0208 123 5877 or Skype ID answermethis.
Also please do try out our other weekly podcasting exploit The Joy of Tech from BBC 5 Live, in which we talk about the week’s internet events alongside experts in tech, cars, gaming and other highlights of modern existence.
I’m enjoying your Tales of International Christmas very much, so please do join in by describing your strange (to you) festive scenes in the comments. Here’s an illustrated despatch from Edd:
I am currently in Malaysia and have just been listening to last week’s podcast in which someone asked if in Australia they associate the same snowy imagery with Christmas as in Britain.
I will be able to confirm that in a few days, but for the moment I can say with certainty that they do here and it’s 30 degrees and so humid I can barely breathe. They also plaster every available square inch with Christmas trees, Santa Claus and candy canes.
I have attached pictures of a shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur which I hope you will agree is about the gaudiest thing you’ve ever seen. They also loop Chris Rea over the sound system for good measure.
Our next correspondent Chris is from Hollywood, so it’s little wonder he is touched by fame! Alright, Hollywood in Solihull. Which is why he’s been touched by very minor fame:
In 1989, Dave Benson Philips made my mum a balloon hat at Chessington.
In 2009 I attended a preview screening of Ice Age 3 with my son, and sat slightly near Alison from Big Brother 3.
In 2010 I walked past Paul Lewis from Radio 4’s Moneybox Live in Euston station. He was sitting on the railing outside the paperchase kiosk.
in December 2012 I bumped into Martin the Sound Man at All Tomorrow’s Parties.
So answer me this: what’s your least impressive celebrity sighting, that you will still fondly remember in 20 years?
OK, get ready:
In 1990ish, I sold Peter Sissons ten books of NSPCC raffle tickets at a horse show.
Around the same time, they filmed an episode of Perfect Scoundrels in my road.
As recounted in AMT148, my mum was a maker of celebrity bread (celebready?).
Arthur Miller took my cousin on holiday to a safari park.
I walked past Chelsea Clinton in the street once.
Readers, think you can the-opposite-of-outdo those? Go directly to the comments to dazzle us with your own encounters with (not very shiny) stars.
Don’t feel too disappointed if you can’t unbeat Martin the Sound Man’s story in AMT131 about how his mum was in a bakery queue with Phillip Schofield.
UPDATE: just remembered another good one from a few years ago – backstage at Latitude Festival I practiced glockenspiel next to Gary ‘sacked from CSI for prolific drug use’ Dourdan, who fell asleep on his chair. I also told Amanda Seyfried where the water was kept.
Here’s a festive question from Liz in Haskayne, Lancashire:
Today I have been writing letters to Santa with my toddlers (Toby, age 3 and Eden, age 2).
It got me thinking about what actually happens to all the letters sent to Santa. Surely they don’t send them on to the North Pole where there is some kind of giant paper recycling plant?
So, answer me this – what do Royal Mail and the like do with all that post for Santa?
They do send it on to Santa, of course, and Santa answers it himself – or at least rubber-stamps his signature onto a template letter he dictated to a secretary.
Then he puts the letter into a shredder and uses the shreddings to line the bottom of his hamster cage.
Oops, Ben in Cornwall has spotted a Bondian blunder in AMT239:
Olly, answer me this: did you actually watch Skyfall or fall asleep during the film as you don’t seem to know where Bond, James Bond strangled a bad guy underwater? That happened towards the end just before SPOILER! dies, NOT in the opening sequence where he got SPOILERED! by SPOILERPENNY! and fell into the SPOILER! off the SPOILER! by himself.
So come on Olly, sort yourself out!
Oops! Looks like Olly mistook Skyfall‘s end credits for the opening credits. No wonder he was surprised the film was only ten minutes long with no proper five-act structure.
My father’s girlfriend is Lithuanian and has never seen any Christmas films; which Christmas films would you suggest to show her?
This is a great question! And one which demands a surprisingly careful approach. You can’t throw a novice straight in at the deep end with Bad Santa or National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (which, I’m sorry to tell you, doesn’t stand up as well as memory hoped). With that in mind, start her off on a classical version of A Christmas Carol, like the Alastair Sim version, before progressing to a deconstructed Christmas Carol such as The Muppet Christmas Carol and Scrooged.
Do supply her with oldies-but-goodies like The Shop Around the Corner and, of course, the repurposed summer blockbuster It’s a Wonderful Life; but you don’t want to begin with those, else it’s all downhill thereon.
Now brace yourself for my controversial suggestion for her starter film.
Come back! Hear me out. Yes, it’s a three-sickbag movie; yes, at least a third of it seems too indulgent even to be a dream sequence; but its dominant characteristic is the sentimentality that has been begotten by Christmas-mythologising films. It will provide some sort of context for her subsequent viewing.
Then you can make the nausea go away with a refreshing dose of Gremlins or Lethal Weapon. Too strong? Elf.
Readers, what would you add to BM’s dad’s girlfriend’s festive film marathon? Jingle all the way to the comments with your suggestions.
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