Thanksgiving Trivia Time

November 22, 2023

For a holiday that centers around binging turkey and carbs, why is Thanksgiving so lean in the ’80s pop culture department? Come December, we’re bloated with “Christmas Vacation,” “Scrooged” and “A Christmas Story” as well as dozens of songs and TV specials. What gives? Faced with that dilemma, our trivia pros at Stuck in the ’80s have developed a five-question Thanksgiving quiz that will keep you on your toes until we sail again in February.

1. What Eddie Murphy movie includes the line: “It ain’t cool being no jive turkey so close to Thanksgiving!”
   1. “48 Hours”
   2. “Best Defense”
   3. “Trading Places”
   4. “Harlem Nights”
2. In “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” what song does Neal (played by Steve Martin) sing on the bus?
   1. “The Flintstones”
   2. “Three Coins in a Fountain”
   3. “Messaround”
   4. “Every Time You Go Away”
3. Which of the following was an actual Thanksgiving TV special in the ’80s?
   1. “The A-Team” Family Reunion
   2. “Thirtysomething” We Gather Together
   3. “Alf” Turkey in the Straw
   4. “Head of the Class” Cold Turkey
   5. All of the above
4. Which iconic character balloon was removed from the 1980 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade because of a gash on its leg, only to reappear in 1981 with a huge Band-Aid covering the “wound?”
   1. Pappa Smurf
   2. Popeye
   3. Mickey Mouse
   4. Snoopy
5. Though it premiered in 1995, name the Thanksgiving movie that cast ’80s stars Holly Hunter, Robert Downey Jr. and Steve Guttenberg as family and in-laws who gather for a painful holiday dinner in Baltimore.
   1. “Home for the Holidays”
   2. “Black Friday”
   3. “Big Night”
   4. “Avalon”

Answers:

1. c. “Trading Places”
2. b. “Three Coins in a Fountain”
3. e. All of the above
4. d. Snoopy
5. a. “Home for the Holidays”

(Steve Spears and Brad Williams are the hosts of the Stuck in the ’80s podcast, now celebrating its 18th year. They’re also the emcees for Big 80s Trivia on the ship each year. Find out more at sit80s.com.)