Jeff Winning Ben Stein's Money
Photo by Matt Heistand Arizona Daily Wildcat
Chemistry graduate student Jeff Thompson sits at his work station yesterday in the
basement of the Steward Observatory. Thompson competed on the popular Comedy Central
game show "Win Ben Stein's Money" and walked a way with the grand prize of
$5000.
By Hillary Davis
Arizona Daily Wildcat
April 24, 2000
UA grad student walks away with grand prize in popular
Who wants to win Ben Stein's money?
UA chemistry graduate student Jeff Thompsen, actually - and he did.
"I beat him," Thompsen said simply. "I beat Ben."
Thompsen, an admitted trivia show buff, decided to try out for "Win Ben
Stein's Money," a popular game show on cable's Comedy Central, after
watching the show and being able to recite the correct answers on
the screen.
About a month after sending producers an e-mail, show representatives contacted
Thompsen with the opportunity to visit the show's Los Angeles studios for an
audition, which included a 30-question written test and a mock
version of the game.
Thompsen said he was not sure how well he scored, but at any rate, he made it on
the show.
"They didn't say what you needed to pass the test, but I passed it," he
said.
After proving himself at the tryouts, Thompsen was called back for a taping. The
episode showing Thompsen, engaged in an intellectual duel with host Ben
Stein, aired on Wednesday.
Thompsen said producers were looking for contestants not only with a keen
intellect, but a lively personality.
"They said they wanted people with energy and spunk to be out there," he
said.
The show's host - a professor, political insider and actor who has played roles in
several TV shows and films including the series "The Wonder Years" and the
film "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" - is known for being a colorful personality
himself, becoming visibly upset when contestants outsmart him.
Thompsen described Stein as "brainy as hell" but also somewhat arrogant
- making his victory in the final round even sweeter.
Thompsen's advancement to the final round - a square-off between him and Stein in
separate soundproof chambers, firing off answers to identical questions -
resulted in Thompsen edging out Stein, five correct answers to
four, and pocketing the $5,000 prize.
"Honestly, the money wasn't the big thing. It was more... for the pride
benefit - I beat him," he said. "It's kind of like giving him his
druthers, his comeuppance."
Thompsen said, true to the show's title, all prize money handed out comes directly
from Stein's personal account. Five thousand dollars are budgeted for
the grand prize on each show, and the more questions contestants
answer correctly for his cash, the more agitated Stein becomes.
Thompsen said he was only slightly nervous about appearing before an audience,
and he calmed down only after he realized he would be facing the show's
host.
Thompsen correctly answered questions on science, popular culture and economics -
one of Stein's specialties.
"Apparently, he's an economist, and I am just a chemist, so what should I
know about that? He was pretty pissed off about that," Thompsen laughed.
However, Thompsen did miss one alcohol-knowledge question - how many ounces in a
shot of Pony?
The correct answer would be one ounce, not four as Thompsen guessed.
"I don't hang out at Maloney's enough to know this," he said.
"Win Ben Stein's Money" is not Thompsen's first brush with game show
fame, however. As a college freshman, he participated in College Jeopardy and took
home $5,000. He also was recently picked as an
alternate for "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," though
he never did get to sit face-to-face on stage with host Regis
Philbin.
"I'm still trying to get on 'Millionaire,'" he said. "I so want
to go back there."
Thompsen said he and another graduate student from the University of Arizona
chemistry department tried out, but his colleague was not called out to
California. Still, Thompsen said there was much support and
encouragement from his peers.
Thompsen insisted his life does not revolve around claiming victory on
nationally televised game shows, though.
In his second year as a chemistry graduate student, Thompsen works in a
laboratory at the UA Steward Observatory, combining chemistry and astronomy to
study the molecules important to the interstellar medium. He also
manages to do some chemical engineering consulting on the side.
Thompsen's sister Julie, a UA Spanish sophomore, said that after her
brother's previous appearances on television games shows, his spot on "Win Ben
Stein's Money" was almost expected.
Julie Thompsen recalled her brother as a hard studier in high school - however,
she added that she was impressed by his victory.
"I thought it was really cool that he won," she said. "It just
seems like the game show circuit is his thing, and I think it's kind of funny."
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