Good Job, Brain! – Episode 300: Our 300th Episode!

Date: October 29, 2025
Hosts: Karen, Colin, Chris
Theme: Celebrating 300 Episodes with Trivia, Community, and Quizzes

Episode Overview

The milestone 300th episode of Good Job Brain! is a joyful, trivia-packed celebration of the show’s long journey and vibrant community. Hosts Karen, Colin, and Chris reminisce about their time together, share heartfelt listener messages, and deliver a feast of themed quizzes—including pop culture, sports, the number 300, “medicine, wartime, or taxes,” and a retrospective challenge. With classic wit and warmth, they honor their “trivia family” and look back on geeky moments, beloved quiz segments, and reasons for curiosity. Listener call-ins highlight the show’s profound impact on fans’ lives, making this a signature episode for veterans and newcomers alike.

Key Discussion Points & Segments

1. Celebrating 300 Episodes & Listener Community

• The hosts reflect on the show's evolution—from weekly recordings to season-based releases—emphasizing gratitude for each other and their audience.
• Listener Call-ins: Numerous fans leave messages reminiscing about how Good Job Brain! has been part of major life events, family routines, commutes, and their love for trivia.
• Memorable Moment—“First Organic Listener Encounter”:
  • Colin shares his excitement about being recognized by a fan, Brian, at a local café who spotted his GJB shirt.
  • Chris tells a story about a fan noticing his shirt at a convention, leading to a humorous misunderstanding.
  • Quote (Colin, 03:01): “Don't blow it, don't blow it. Like, you've been waiting years for this... I did kind of the Aw, shucks routine...”

2. Pop Quiz, Hotshot! (Trivial Pursuit Marathon) [06:14–16:21]

• Karen reads Trivial Pursuit cards from three editions: Baby Boomer, Totally 80s, and Entertainment Singles.
• Questions and answers are tackled in a rapid, bantering style, focusing on TV, movies, music, sports, and history.

Notable Trivia Highlights:

• The Monkees TV show was originally intended for The Lovin’ Spoonful.
  • Quote (Colin, 07:21): “Oh, is that the... the Lovin’ Spoonful?”
• The last film of Abbott and Costello: Dance with Me, Henry (1956).
• Rick Allen, Def Leppard’s drummer, continued performing after losing his arm.
• Bull Durham opens with a Yogi Berra quote; Greg Louganis injured himself at the 1988 Olympics.
• Quote (Colin, 13:18): “Oh man, that was Greg Louganis. I cringe thinking about it.”
• TV series remake starring Jessica Alba: Flipper (1995).
• Lars Von Trier's Europa was renamed Zentropa in the U.S.
• The Shining made “Here’s Johnny!” famous.

3. Quiz: Real Movies, Fake Bands [16:56–35:15]

• Colin introduces a music quiz where players identify the movie and the name of fictional bands/acts from clips.
• Quiz Structure: Chronological, from 2025 back to 1977.
• Hosts work together, with Karen as team captain.

Quiz Tracks & Answers (Excerpted):

1. 2025 — K-Pop Demon Hunters, band: The Saja Boys ("Soda Pop")
2. 2016 — Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, act: Conner4Real
   • Quote (Karen, 21:13): “His fake name or the character he plays is Connor... The number four. Real.”
3. 2012 — Pitch Perfect, group: The Barden Bellas
   • Quote (Karen, 22:23): “The movie is Pitch Perfect. The first one. Group performing is the Barden Bellas.”
4. 2010 — Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, band: Sex Bob-omb
   • Quote (Colin, 23:29): “Yeah, okay, it is. You got it. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. What is the band? Sex Bob-omb.”
5. 2001 — Josie and the Pussycats, band: Josie and the Pussycats; boy band: Du Jour
6. 1996 — That Thing You Do!, band: The Wonders (a.k.a. The Oneders)
7. 1994 — Airheads, band: The Lone Rangers
8. 1991 — Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, band: The Wyld Stallyns
9. 1984 — This Is Spinal Tap, song: “Give Me Some Money” by The Thamesmen
   • Quote (Chris, 32:55): “That was the dulcet tones of the Thamesman... the band which would go on to become Spinal Tap.”
10. 1977 — Star Wars, band: Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes (“Cantina Band”)

• Chris and Karen score a "perfect game," earning Colin’s praise:
  • Quote (Colin, 35:15): “Perfect score. I’m gonna say that is 300 points for 300 episodes. I am so proud of you. You nailed it.”

4. Sports Team Names and Mascots Quiz [37:07–45:06]

• Karen’s “sports but not really sports” quiz focuses on names, wordplay, and facts about U.S. pro teams.

Sample Q&A:

• Teams with multiple Ks in their name: Knicks, Blackhawks, Kraken.
  • Quote (Chris, 38:38): “Oh, the Kraken. Yes.”
• What are the Dodgers dodging? “Trolleys” (originally Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers).
• Which NFL logo faces left? Philadelphia Eagles.
  • Quote (Karen, 40:24): “The birds flying to the left.”
• Three teams named after real people: Cleveland Browns, Chicago Blackhawks (named after a real person "Black Hawk"), Buffalo Bills (Buffalo Bill).
• Teams with the same names across sports: Cardinals, Giants, Jets, Panthers, Kings, Rangers.

5. Number 300 Quiz [48:24–58:57]

• Chris hosts an all-questions-themed-around-300 segment.

Notable Questions:

• 300 comic book author: Frank Miller.
  • Quote (Chris, 49:40): “It’s Frank Miller. Yes, yes, yes.”
• Ninja 300 motorcycle: Kawasaki.
• 300 Entertainment label acts: Mary J. Blige.
• Magnavox Odyssey 300 (1975 pinball) theme: Bowling.
• Gold Coast Indy 300 location: Australia (Queensland).
• Magnavox Odyssey 300 games: Tennis (in addition to Hockey, Smash).
• Apple eMate 300 (1997) ran: Newton OS.
• MLB 300 Win Club latest (Giants, 2009): Randy Johnson.
• Words with three C's (CCC = Roman numeral 300): accuracy, eclectic, focaccia.

6. Quiz: Medicine, Wartime, or Taxes [61:43–76:27]

• Karen’s favorite historical quiz format focuses on invention origins.

Sample Q&A & Insights:

• Shortbread: Taxes (rebranded from “shortcake” to avoid luxury tax in Scotland).
  • Quote (Karen, 64:05): “So to avoid this, they changed the name from shortcakes to short bread. Being like, hey, it’s bread, not a luxury item.”
• Metal detector: Medicine (Thomas Edison tried to find the bullet in President Garfield).
• Brandy: Taxes (distilled to reduce taxable volume).
• Corkscrew: Wartime (originated as a “gun worm” to remove bullets from muskets).
• Synthetic Dye: Medicine (accidentally created while seeking malaria treatment).
• Cheetos: Wartime (born from military cheese powder surplus after WWII).
  • Quote (Karen, 71:33): “The Quartermaster Corps... processed cheese powder... When the war ended, they have tons of it... In 1948, America’s first cheese powder snack. And that was the Cheeto.”
• Braille: Wartime (evolved from “night writing” for silent messages).
• Action Figures: Taxes (mutant/monster figures were taxed less than dolls; Marvel successfully argued superheroes weren’t “human” dolls).

7. Before or After 2012 Retrospective [79:38–88:01]

• Colin runs a “Retro Throwback” quiz: Did these events happen before or after GJB’s 2012 debut?

• Minecraft release: Before (2011)

• Burj Khalifa completed: Before (2009)

• Pope Benedict XVI resignation: After (2013)

• Snapchat launch: Before (2011)

• Taylor Swift wins Grammy for Fearless: Before (2010)

• GTA V release: After (2013)

• Royal Wedding (William & Kate): Before (April 2011)

  • Quote (Colin, 88:01): “I can hardly believe the road we have traveled since 2012. All those events, some after, some before... Thank you for taking that little trip with me.”

Listener Messages – Community Highlights

Interwoven throughout are heartfelt voice messages from long-time listeners around the world:

• Fans recount coping with stress and life's milestones alongside the podcast.
• The GJB Wikipedia page was listener-created.
• Trivia and knowledge from GJB have united families, brightened road trips, and even appeared at weddings and births.
• “C for celebrating 300 episodes, C for collective cleverness, C for creativity, and C for curiosity.” (Grace, 35:49)
• “You're not just filling time, you're feeling [life].” (Aileen from Dublin, 90:00)
• Listeners submitted quiz questions to the GJB crew (e.g., Name as many jigsaw puzzle brands as possible).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Colin (03:01): “Don't blow it, don't blow it. Like, you've been waiting years for this... I did kind of the Aw, shucks routine...”
• Karen (22:23): “The movie is Pitch Perfect. The first one. Group performing is the Barden Bellas.”
• Chris (32:55): “That was the dulcet tones of the Thamesman... the band which would go on to become Spinal Tap.”
• Colin (35:15): “Perfect score. I’m gonna say that is 300 points for 300 episodes. I am so proud of you. You nailed it.”
• Grace (Listener, 35:49): “C for celebrating 300 episodes...”
• William (Listener, 92:13): “We saw barn quilt squares... an hour into the drive, you mentioned barn quilt squares and we both said 'no way'...”

Timestamps – Key Segments

• 00:11–01:13 — Listener greetings and 300th ep intro
• 02:45–04:09 — First “organic listener” encounter stories
• 05:48–16:21 — Trivial Pursuit pop quiz marathon
• 16:56–35:15 — Real Movies, Fake Bands music quiz
• 37:07–45:06 — Sports teams word quiz
• 48:24–58:57 — “300” trivia quiz (number-themed)
• 61:43–76:27 — Medicine/Wartime/Taxes origins quiz
• 79:38–88:01 — “Before or After 2012?” retrospective quiz
• Multiple segments — Listener voicemails, life stories

Tone, Style, and Reflection

Good Job Brain! retains its trademark blend of friendly ribbing, offbeat knowledge, trivia love, and inclusive, nerdy fun. The hosts’ chemistry shines in collaborative quizzes, self-deprecating humor about their “bad” sports knowledge, and deep respect for their community. Listeners’ messages testify to the podcast's unique power to connect, comfort, and inspire curiosity across years and continents.

Final Word:
A celebration not only of trivia, but of friendships—on-air and off—a testament to the power of fun facts to forge resilient, joyful communities.