Go Fact Yourself Ep. 181: The 2024(ish) Listener Tournament Finals: Khalil Goodman & Kristen Pilotte (October 17, 2025)

Main Theme / Purpose

This special Zoom-recorded episode is the finals of Go Fact Yourself’s "2024(ish) Listener Tournament." Host J. Keith van Straaten and co-host Helen Hong bring together two loyal listeners, Khalil Goodman and Kristen Pilotte, to compete in a high-spirited trivia showdown, complete with deep-dive segments into their pop-culture passions and special guest appearances by renowned experts—including the voices of X-Men ’97 and a real-life astronaut. The episode embodies GFY’s blend of game show energy, fandom celebration, and feel-good community spirit.

Episode Structure & Major Segments

1. Contestant Introductions & Backgrounds

Khalil Goodman:

• Photographer, writer, and PR professional from Barbados.
• Hosted cosplay competitions at AnimeCon, Barbados.
• A MaxFun superfan—loves shows like Depresh Mode, Black People Love Paramore, Maximum Film.
• Big X-Men fan (has a Storm tattoo!), also loves Garbage and Agatha Christie.
  • [04:18] “I have been a photographer since high school. [...] I do a lot of portraiture and then writing. It's usually for those things as well. I write for magazines, but my day job, I work in public relations.” – Khalil [E]
• Discovered GFY through Helen Hong on Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me!

Kristen Pilotte:

• Government contractor and aerospace engineer, Maryland/Virginia area.
• Likes to watch cooking/baking shows (fav: Great British Bake Off).
• Lover and supporter of podcasts, including Sawbones, Judge John Hodgman, and Secretly Incredibly Fascinating.
• Trivia topics: DuckTales video game, US manned space program, Grey’s Anatomy (the show).
  • [07:39] “This is a very bad time of year for spacecraft. It is what's called the eclipse season or the equinox season. And there's a lot of solar activity and things changing in the space environment on vehicles. So this is the time where things happen.” – Kristen [G]
• Is truly on-call for space emergencies during the episode!

2. What’s The Difference? Segment (11:10)

Khalil: Etiquette vs. Manners

• Khalil: “Etiquette is a prescribed set of rules... Manners are socially or culturally understood but not set out in a strict code.”
• Kristen agrees, adds that etiquette includes “silly things” like which fork to use.
• Helen’s ruling: 1 point to Khalil for etiquette definition, not quite full on manners.

Kristen: Cause of Death vs. Manner of Death

• Kristen: Cause is what literally made you die (e.g., bled out); manner is how it came about (e.g., hatchet attack).
• Helen’s ruling: 2 points for Kristen, nailed both.

Score after this round: Khalil 1, Kristen 2 (15:02)

3. Deep-Dive Trivia Rounds – Special Interests

A. Khalil: X-Men ‘97 ([16:41]–[40:39])

Why X-Men ‘97?

• Lifelong X-Men fan—started reading age 6.
• Watched original animated series via Canadian VHS sent to Barbados (“Colonialism!” jokes).
• “I have Storm on my arm.” – Khalil [17:25] (shows tattoo)
• Loves new series for its mature storytelling and Barbadian representation (voice actress Alison Sealy-Smith voices Storm).

Trivia Questions – (5 for 5 Correct!)

1. On what streaming service can you find X-Men ‘97?
   • A: Disney+
   • “It's on Disney, Helen.” – Khalil [21:11]
2. What sport are the X-Men playing in the pilot when Scott & Jean announce their departure?
   • A: Basketball
3. Which character does NOT appear in episode 8’s cameos: Silver Samurai, Mr. Fantastic, Polaris, Omega Red, Spider-Man?
   • A: Mr. Fantastic
4. The fictional island Genosha is closest to which real continent?
   • A: Africa
   • “That is correct. No hint needed.” – Helen [23:13]
5. In a YouTube Yule log video, what is Professor Xavier holding in his portrait? (after hint)
   • A: Candy cane

Expert Round + Memorable Moments ([24:55]–[40:39])

• Expert Guests: Isaac Robinson-Smith (Bishop), Holly Chou (Jubilee), Alison Sealy-Smith (Storm).
• Khalil knows Alison personally from her theater work in Barbados!
  • “Wait, you do?” – J. Keith [26:34]
  • “My first job was as a journalist, and Alison did a play in Barbados… That’s how we met.” – Khalil [27:11]
• Experts share stories of representation in fandom, emotional resonance of Storm for Black fans, and excitement about being part of multi-generational, multicultural X-Men ’97 cast.
  • “The first time somebody stood in front of me in tears because of X Men and the role that I played, it was surreal." – Alison Sealy-Smith [33:55]

Score after Round: Khalil 9, Kristen 2

B. Kristen: The U.S. Manned Space Program ([41:10]–[60:47])

Why US Manned Space?

• Grew up near NASA Goddard, loved space center trips, wrote thesis on Hubble servicing missions.
• Enjoys Apollo 13 the movie (“seen it twice in the last month!”).
• Advocates for “human-rated” or “personned” programs over outdated “manned” terminology.

Trivia Questions – (4.5/5 Correct)

1. Artemis mission’s Bezos partner?
   • A: Amazon
2. Greek god, twin of Artemis, namesake of early NASA moon missions?
   • A: Apollo
3. Cap astronauts wear under helmets, named for comic strip character?
   • A: Snoopy (“Those are called Snoopy caps.” – Kristen [47:07])
4. Which is not the name of a real astronaut: Bill McCool, Brent Jett, Kenneth Mars, Linda Godwin, William Reddy? (After hint)
   • A: Kenneth Mars
5. Johnson Space Center Saturn V rocket’s unique quality?
   • She guesses “used in the movies”; answer is “built of entirely flight-certified hardware”—given half point.

Expert Round: Astronaut Don Thomas! ([50:50]–[60:47])

• Don Thomas: 4 shuttle missions, 44 days in space, lifelong dream.
• Memorable moment: “When the engines come up to full power... I was just screaming inside my helmet, yahoo!” [56:03–56:10]
• His pizza in space:
  • Shuttle: Columbia (Kristen guessed Atlantis)
  • Topping: Double pepperoni (Kristen guessed pepperoni, got it right)
  • Company that delivered pizza to the ISS: Pizza Hut (not Domino’s)
• Story: One woodpecker drilled 205 holes in shuttle insulation and delayed the launch! [57:54]
• Sweet bonding: Kristen got to go inside Columbia in 1997.

Score after Round: Khalil 9, Kristen 7.5

4. Fast Facts Lightning Round (61:12)

Trivia about Ozzy Osbourne and his quirky ads (featuring “cans of Liquid Death iced tea containing his DNA” for $450!). Both play briskly, with Khalil extending his lead.

Final Score:

• Khalil Goodman: 13 points (winner)
• Kristen Pilotte: 8.5 points

5. Plugs, Acknowledgments & Closing Warmth

• Khalil promotes LGBTQ+ group “Equals Barbados” and encourages supporting creators (and specifically Go Fact Yourself).
• Kristen: Reviews and word-of-mouth help podcasts! Offers up her IG for cat photos.

Host & co-host signoffs:

• Helen Hong: “Y’all know why [my handle is] FunnyHelenHong? That's right, it's funny.”
• J. Keith: “You can hire me for your trivia event at bigquizthing.com.”

Memorable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• [17:25] “I have Storm on my arm.” – Khalil, displaying his X-Men tattoo
• [26:24] “Well, yeah, we go back a ways... Yes, I am from Barbados and, and Khalil and I know each other and it was just one of those things.” – Alison Sealy-Smith
• [33:55] "The first time somebody stood in front of me in tears because of X Men and the role that I played, it was surreal. It was like an out of body experience." – Alison Sealy-Smith
• [56:03] “You're just screaming inside your helmet, yahoo.” – Dr. Don Thomas (on shuttle launch)
• [57:54] “One woodpecker. 205 holes. That's one persistent woodpecker.” – Dr. Don Thomas

Episode vibes and tone

Friendly, irreverent, joyful, and deeply heartfelt—respectful of fandoms, diverse experiences, and the value of nerdy knowledge. The show highlights both the fun and the emotional depth of pop culture passion, with contestants, hosts, and experts all cheering each other on.

Section Summary

1. Intros: Meet Khalil (Barbadian creative, cosplayer, X-Men superfan) and Kristen (aerospace engineer, bake-off watcher, space nerd).
2. What's the Difference? Khalil and Kristen go head to head on definitions—etiquette vs. manners, cause vs. manner of death.
3. Khalil Deep-Dive: X-Men ’97, perfect trivia, visited by actual cast (Isaac Robinson-Smith, Holly Chou, Alison Sealy-Smith). Emotional sharing on representation and fandom.
4. Kristen Deep-Dive: U.S. Manned Space Program. Strong space trivia, and surprise expert—astronaut Dr. Don Thomas (“pizza in space”).
5. Lightning Round: Silly rapid-fire facts about Ozzy Osbourne ads.
6. Wrap-up: Khalil wins and splits the glory. Both contestants warm, community-focused, and supportive. Final plugs and encouragement to support the arts and each other.

This episode is ideal for listeners who love deep, personable dives into fandom, the thrill of trivia, and unexpected moments of connection. It’s a celebration of expertise of every kind—from arm tattoos to astronautics!