Gold Star Classroom

Copy Episode 3.12 This is our season 3 finale, and what a special episode it is.  Recorded live, backstage at the world famous Bay Street Theatre, home club of Lady Chablis as well as the Savannah Comedy Revue.  This episode was recorded in a short break after a comedy show and before a wonderful transvestite burlesque show, and what wild and fun scene it was.  Everyone there was fun and gracious to be around!  Now, back to class!  Do any of these luminaries’ students have a heart, and if so, do they know anything about it???  And then, questions about a mysterious and famous rock band form the 60s and tidbits of trivia about Georgia (and, so it seems, Illinois!).  Who will shine out when all around is dark, and win themselves the coveted classroom prize, the Golden Banana? Charlie Weiner is a legendary comedian and musician, known best for his classic record 12 inches of Weiner! Matt Theisen is an actor, teacher, and fight coordinator who once got kicked in the chest by an overeager actor, and who is currently building his own farm. Thom Paris is producer of the Savannah Comedy Revue!

Copy Episode 3.11 Record atthe Barnes & Nobles in Mentor (thanks Chad!).  It is comic book expert Chris Lambert versus actor andcomputer engineer Eric Jaffe (no relation!).  One of them may actually be a living fossil, if either ofthem can figure out what a living fossil is!  And when Mel Brooks portrayed Governor William J. LePetomane in Blazing Saddles, hischaracter’s name was an homage to famous Moulan Rouge performer—does anybodyremember this famous old-timer!  Ifthey do, maybe they will win today’s coveted classroom prize, the GoldenBanana! ChrisLambert is an author, actor, comic book expert who once sang with Bad Finger(and I do mean, ONCE!).  Follow hiswork on-line here: http://e-comicsgazette.com/ Eric Jaffeis an actor currently touring his one-man show C-, as seen here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/c-1.3672720

Copy Episode 3.10 A greatgroup of students gathered during the blizzard of ’15 to answer questions aboutanimal science, celebrity gossip, and Viking lore.  Are any of my students listening at home diurnal, and if so,are you diurnal enough to win the coveted classroom prize, the Golden Banana? Dr. Zane Johnson is an Associate Professor of Biology at Lake Erie College. Mark Riccadonna is a comedian, actor and storyteller whsoe biggest influence is quizmaster Donnie Smith.  SteveFielder is an actor, comedian, and fire performer.  He runs the CLE Improv troop.  Find him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steve.fielder.7?fref=ts

Recorded at the famous Mojo’s Comedy Cellar in Youngstown, Ohio.  These students have to deal with solar weather and movie villains.  Do you know who the American Film Institute voted the number 1 villain in American film history?  If you do, maybe YOU could win the coveted classroom prize, the Golden banana!

These student’s are a classroom full of asterisks!  “What is with the number two?” has a very different meaning in this context.  And if anyone knows what an “ampersand” is they may win today’s Nerd Prize!  As astronomy nerds, we all love Mars and Venus,  but what do you know about them?  And if anyone can get their head out of their asterisk they will win the coveted classroom prize, the Golden Banana.  Recorded live at Grumpy Dave’s in Bowling Green!

A special episode recorded at the famous Beachwood Ballroom in Cleveland, OH.  These are some top-notch learned (ie nerdy) students, and the Nerd Prize will definitely be up for grab!  We have fun testing this class on topics like world population statistics, space utilization, and truly true originals of the superstitions related to Friday the 13th.  And, in the end, only one can receive the coveted classroom prize, the Golden Banana.

For students who come here for the nerd trivia and stay for the comedy, this class turned out to be spectacularly satisfying.  Who climbed to the top of what mountain?  If Ouija boards were real, maybe Ouija could tell, but since they are NOT real what can these students tell their teacher about where they came from?  And, can Ouija predict who will earn the coveted classroom prize, The Golden Banana?

This class includes three high-powered panelists:  world-renowned Superman expert Chris Lambert, Batman aficionado Dan Brown, and Lethargic Zen Master TM Francis.  Recorded at the Barnes & Nobles in Mentor, these three wits battle over topics such as science fiction trivia, Native American vocabulary, and the true truly real history of Satanism.  This episode includes an unprecedented multiple Nerd Prize winner, but who will drop enough knowledge to earn the coveted classroom prize, The Golden Banana.

This episode is a very special episode!  It is the first of two recorded at the MidWest Comedy Festival shows held at the Comedy Caravan in Louisville, Ky in Summer of 2015.  All of our guest students were stand out performers at the Festival and happily entered the Gold Star Classroom, even though they didn’t quite know what to expect.  Well, what they got were a series of challenging questions about various dangers in life, including sharks, lightning, Andre the Giant, and most frightening of all, marriage!  What we got was a delightful and lively episode, in which one of these hilarious freshman won the coveted classroom prize,  The Golden Banana?

Your humble professor is excited to have back Jeopardy champion Arthur Chu.  With such an accomplished Master in class, it means the teacher has to work hard to make it as challenging as possible.  We wrestled with history with the true origin of the American flag and we tackled the now, with a review of the most recent words added to the dictionary.  Is it a foregone conclusion Arthur will win the coveted classroom prize The Golden Banana, or with the new Nerd Prize in play is there hope for of the other students to excel???

This episode brings back three of our most popular past students for a head-to-head you will never forget!  We all know of course that the word Aryan refers to some bad bad people, but where does the world originally come from?  And, this episode was recorded in Toledo, Oh, but do my students at home know which presidents are from Ohio?  How about these students??  Will any of these giants be intellectual enough to win the coveted classroom prize, The Golden Banana?

Welcome to the launch of Season 3 of Goldstar Classroom!  My producing partner Steve and I began this podcast in the summer of 2013 we had no idea we’d still be making these!!  After a short hiatus we are ready to go!  This season includes a new feature called “the nerd prize” and some expanded features to our website.  We begin with a class that includes topics such as “Who was the first man in space?” and “Was that man really the first man in space?” and also an old chestnut:  “Why are barns red?” (The real answer to which requires an understanding of astrophysics!).  One of these students will win the coveted classroom prize, THE GOLDEN BANANA.

Welcome to our season 2 finale, with group of celebrated and very naughty students.  They all have a lot to say, but do they actually know the history of quicksand??  None of my students know the name of the first film with a quicksand scene, but that’s why I am here!  Also, we all know what angel’s hair pasta is, but is there any truth in the folk superstition known as “angel’s hair”?  Will any of these students earn the final honor of the year, the coveted Golden Banana?  And, will any of them be sent to the principal’s office?  See you with Season 3, in September 2015!

This episode was recorded at the Stone Tavern in Kent, and features four of the best minds Kent comedy has to offer.  Will these keen wags know the famous historical site where Groucho Marx danced the charleston? (Hint: it is in Germany!).  Everyone knows who sung the song “Addicted to love” (your humble professor assumes so) but do you know if “love addiction” is really a real thing?  If any of the students know, perhaps one of them will win the coveted classroom prize, The Golden Banana!

One wonders if being a Kamikaze pilot was in any way like experiencing groundhog day.  Going to school sometimes feels like groundhog day, too, but what do these students know about groundhog day or Kamikaze’ pilots?  Also, what is David Bowie’s real name?  If any of these students know the answers to any of these questions, then maybe one of them will win the coveted classroom prize, the Golden Banana.

What is the real history of the number of the beast?  Heck, what s the REAL number of the beast (bet you don’t know!)?  Besides confronting old superstitions, these students also confront the modern problem of whether or not playing poker can actually make you ill?  You may never touch cards again!  Forget about betting on the pot, these students have to bet on their own wits, and one of them will win the coveted classroom prize, the Golden Banana.

Although no student has ever had the gall to call your humble Professor and host a gargoyle to his face, one can’t help but wonder what they say behind the teacher’s back!  But, do these students know, actually, what a gargoyle is and what it does??  And, do any of my students at home know what apotropaic means (the ones in this class didn’t!)?  Your humble professor is always generous with his time and knowledge, but just how charitable are Americans?? (You can prove how charitable you are by noticing the “donate” button on our website!).  Though the mental prowess in this class is high, who will stand out as the best of the rest and earn the coveted classroom prize, The Golden Banana?

This lively class includes an inquiry into Christmas Carols, trust me, if it weren’t for your humble professor no one would know these eccentric tidbits!  Plus, all my students were children at one time, but what do they know about childhood.  And after all, who will win this class’s Golden Banana?  And, on a personal note, this is the last appearance of regular student Eddie Werner. RIP my friend.

What well-known actor, even though he never won any significant acting prizes, has a grandfather who invented baking soda?  Who has an art history degree from Yale? Who was this modern day Renaissance Man?  And, what is the Festival of Lights.  If anyone in the class knows what this is, they could win the coveted classroom prize, The Golden Banana!

Do mosquitoes bother you?  Maybe there’s something about YOU they find attractive!  And watch for too much attraction…after all, do you know the rates of STDs in the USA?  Can you name all 6 Pythonians, and ALL 5 of their movies??  More importantly, can today’s students??  If one of them can they may earn enough points to earn the coveted classroom prize, The Golden Banana!