This Oakland Team Is on New Season of ‘Pop Culture Jeopardy’
Two bar trivia enthusiasts from Oakland, armed with the type of knowledge that spans Lady Gaga’s performances and episodes of The Office, are competing as semifinalists in the new season of Pop Culture Jeopardy.
The show, hosted by Saturday Night Live’s Colin Jost, is modeled like traditional Jeopardy but focuses on categories associated with film, television, music and internet culture. The Oakland team is made up of two friends: Joshua Bote, a journalist (and former intern with KQED Arts), and Erica West, a social worker.
In one episode, Jost asked them to explain their team name “Oakland Spirit Tunnel.” It’s a reference to the viral online segment from Jennifer Hudson’s talk show.
“It’s the name of our group chat actually,” Bote said on the show.
Both Bote and West said their bar trivia sessions at Temescal Brewing in their home neighborhood paid off in the process to get on the show, which involved an online quiz, several Zoom interviews and a mock game.
The friends are proud to represent the Bay Area, which is also home to Jeopardy champion Amy Schneider. She holds the second-longest win streak in the program’s history, behind Ken Jennings, the show’s current host.
“Last year, I was at the Trans March and saw Amy Schneider. I was too afraid to go up to her. I was so starstruck,” Bote said. “To even get the chance to continue the legacy that she continued in our small, silly way of being good at Pop Culture Jeopardy, it was a dream come true.”
West, also a big fan of Jeopardy, echoed this sentiment.
“They pan to my mom in the audience who watches Jeopardy every single day. We would watch together all the time. To be on the Alex Trebek stage, even holding the buzzer, I felt emotional. It means a lot.”
‘Pop Culture Jeopardy’ is streaming on Netflix now.
