Topics for Board Game "Debate This"

Yes-No Questions

Should cell phones be banned from indoor use? Yes, No.
Are blind dates a good use of one’s time? Yes, No.
Is it right for kids to dissect creatures in school? Yes, No.
If aliens were to land on Earth, would your religious beliefs change? Yes, No.
Is cheerleading demeaning to women? Yes, No.
Is it time to go with a popular vote instead of the electoral? Yes, No.
Should government allow gay marriages? Yes, No.
Should there be an age limit to go with our speed limits? Yes, No.
Is it okay to eat food in the store before you pay for it? Yes, No.
Are parking tickets priced fairly? Yes, No.
Should you allow your son to play with dolls? Yes, No.
Are the funny pages funny? Yes, No.
Should we implement a parenting license? Yes, No.
Are ghosts real? Yes, No.
Is it okay to spank your child? Yes, No.
If you can gossip while you do it, is it still exercise? Yes, No.
Is it okay to tell white lies? Yes, No.
Should we install a minimum I.Q. for Presidents? Yes, No.
Is it appropriate to wear blue jeans to church? Yes, No.
Is professional wrestling a sport? Yes, No.
Should prostitution be legalized and taxed? Yes, No.
Should gambling be legalized and taxed? Yes, No.
Would you take a pill that raises your I.Q. by 50 points but also makes you irreparably ugly? Yes, No.
Should public schools have a dress code? Yes, No.
Should the Vatican sell its art treasures to finance church business? Yes, No.
Should hockey allow fighting? Yes, No.
If you had one day left to live, would you want to know about it? Yes, No.
Will O.J. ever find the “real killer” outside of his bathroom mirror? Yes, No.
Is cloning immoral? Yes, No.
In light of the population crisis, should we limit the number of children a couple can bear? Yes, No.
As players get taller, should we raise the height of basketball hoops? Yes, No.
Should there be a legal “cooling off period” after car purchases? Yes, No.
Is the “Three Strikes Law” fair? Yes, No.
Should handguns be outlawed? Yes, No.
It is unwise to date coworkers? Yes, No.
Would you support a movement for five new unpaid holidays? Yes, No.
Is it tasteless for mothers to breast-feed in public? Yes, No. (What about if they’re breast-feeding their baby … sorry).
Should public school be taught in more than one language? Yes, No.
Is it a good idea to create a race track where people are allowed, for recreation, to drive drunk? Yes, No.
Is “not guilty by reason of insanity” a valid defense? Yes, No.
Should we cultivate hemp (the marijuana plant) to make paper? Yes, No.
Is ignorance bliss? Yes, No.
Are sobriety checkpoints a good use of government resources? Yes, No.
Is there such thing as “too much sleep”? Yes, No.
Is it cruel to declaw your cat? Yes, No.
If we could legally ban movie sequels, would you back such a law? Yes, No.

Multiple Choice (Two Options)

Are clowns funny ha-ha or funny-strange?
How many ankles do we have: two or four?
Who should call back when a cell call is lost: the caller or the one whose cell phone drops the call?
Which is the greater crime: downloading music from the Internet without paying or charging $20 for a CD that costs 5¢ to manufacture.
Worst tendency in a man: too much sports or too much work?
Which is more useful in your daily life: English or math?
Is it better to marry someone who has had a lot of sexual partners or few sexual partners?
Are stamps fairly priced, or is the post office strong-arming us?
With whom would you pair up on Survivor: Mike Tyson or Donald Trump?
Is technology making the world safer or more dangerous?
Who wields more influence over children: parents or media?
Who needs a timeout more: executive secretaries or DMV clerks?
Would you rather be stranded on a deserted island with a comedian or a sage?
Is it easier to raise a boy or a girl?
Which is better: year-round schooling or the old-fashioned three-month summer?
Forced to choose, would you rather die by drowning or fire?
Bigger betrayal of the American people: Watergate or Lewinsky?
Which is more hurtful to a relationship: anger or jealousy?
You’ve got 300 miles to your destination and must return tomorrow. Drive or take a plane?
Better pet: cats or dogs?
Does the independent party benefit the election process, or should we stick to Democrats and Republicans?
Who is less welcome: telemarketers or door-to-door evangelists?
Which does more for the confidence of the neurotically self-conscious: psychotherapy or a makeover?
Would you rather be infamous or anonymous?
Who is more deserving of his success: Gates or Trump?
Bigger waste of money: shopping or golfing?
Which is better for a child: public or private school?
For television: cable or satellite?

Multiple Choice (Three Options)

At what point should a man introduce flatulence into the relationship? Six months, one year, never.
How long is a “quickie”: 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15+ minutes.
Worst part about the Internet? Spam, porn, pop-up windows.
The one room that you have to keep immaculate? Bedroom, bathroom, kitchen.
What is most likely to bring a family together: a good meal, caroling, arguing over silly topics to advance one stinkin’ space on a game board?
Who was the better poet: Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Dr. Seuss?
Which is more useful: chiropractor, acupuncturist, witch doctor?
Worst kind of mixed company: Republicans-Democrats, drunk-sober, young-old?
What is more important to control: fat, calories, carbohydrates?
Which is most responsible for youth violence: video games, parents, G.I. Joe?
Least attractive language? German, Russian, Yiddish.
Who will be elected President first: a woman, a Black, Satan?

In This Room

Who in this room would make the best billionaire?
Who in this room could get along best with Krusty the Clown?
Who in this room would make the best game show host?
Who in this room is likely to live the longest?
Who in this room is most likely to be the designated driver?
Who in this room would benefit most from cloning himself or herself?
Who in this room would be the first to get thrown out of a honky-tonk bar?
Why would you make a better President than your debating partner?
Who in this room is taking the game too seriously?
Who in this room has consumed the most alcohol (lifetime)?
Who in this room is most likely to be seen on the 11:00 news?

Open

How many days slack should we give women during their periods?
The best athletes play which sport?
Which food is best to have in your arsenal during a food fight?
Which subjects should board games really stay away from?
How many kids are too many?
What are homophobics really afraid of (e.g., talking to the hand)?
Which is the most deserving charity?
Which alcoholic drink sneaks up on you the most?
Most handsome bald man not in this room (horseshoe hairlines count)?
Best TV sitcom of all-time?
Most overrated actor in Hollywood?
What career path would have better suited the current President?
Forced to choose, which subject would you eliminate from high school curriculum?
As which non-human animal would you return if return to earth you could?
Who made the best James Bond?
What is the most urgent environmental issue?
What member of TV’s Friends should the writers have killed off?
After love, what is the most important component in a relationship?
Most overrated singer, past or present?
Worst fast-food restaurant?
At what point are you officially cheating on your significant other (e.g., flirting, fantasizing, lying)?
Which country could be carved out of the planet like a cancer?
Worst type of natural disaster (arguing with loved ones does not count)?
Best television station?
Best time of day to eat Thanksgiving dinner?
How important must one be to get assassinated (e.g., governor, senator, celebrity)?
Which is the best season?
Which religion demands the most of its followers?

Blank

Life is too short to … blank.
The toughest people on earth play … blank.
They say that baseball is the national pastime, but you think it’s … blank.
You know you’re getting old when … blank.
There is little in life that can’t be helped by … blank.
Nothing ruins a party like blank.
Family is anyone who … blank (e.g., “can watch you use the bathroom”).
If you could hide from God, it would probably be in … blank.
It’s not whether you win or lose. It’s … blank.
May you never grow so old that … blank.
Blank is a way of life (e.g., “The Simpsons are a way of life”).
No man is so tough that he … blank (e.g., can brave a bikini wax).
The way to a man’s heart is actually through his … blank.
If God were to come down to Earth, He would come as … blank.
Most men don’t know how to act around … blank.
The most arrogant people live in … blank.
Never trust a man who … blank.
Never trust a woman who … blank.
Life is like a box of blank.

Pick a Side

A child learns more by reading books or by watching television?
Are New Years Resolutions meaningful, or is it better to save our promises for more sober moments?
Are subliminal Goldbrick Games messages Debate This really effective? Yes, No.
Are the SATs an accurate measure of a high school student’s aptitude? Yes, No.
Are traffic cameras a clever use of technology or a giant step toward Robocop?
Are traffic tickets fairly priced, or is law enforcement profiting at every illegal turn?
Can we learn more about science by looking through a microscope or a telescope?
Can you tell more about first dates by what they are wearing or by what they order for dinner?
Does school detention correct misbehavior? Yes, No.
Who has done more to protect the environment: America or the rest of the world?
Which is more to blame for insanity: genes or environment?
Forced to choose, is it better to live in the intense cold or the intense heat?
Which would you give up first: your hands or your feet?
If a man’s wife is raped, should he be legally entitled to revenge? Yes, No.
If a piece of food falls on the ground, is it okay to wash it off and eat it? Yes, No.
If someone offered a million dollars to sleep with your spouse, would you allow it? Yes, No. (What a great premise for a movie…)
If you notice an accidentally marked card while playing poker, do you bring it to the group’s attention or keep your poker face?
Inside an airplane, which is ruder: talking on a cell phone or reading out loud?
Is crime considerably high or, given the population, surprisingly low?
Is Halloween a healthy custom? Yes, No.
Is it better to quit cigarettes cold turkey or to wean yourself gradually?
Is it fair to hire a decoy to determine whether your spouse responds to sexual advances? Yes, No.
Is it obsessive to have people take off their shoes when they enter your home? Yes, No.
Is it okay to give away, as a gift, a present that you received from someone else? Yes, No.
Is it worth it to starve every day just to look like a model? Yes, No.
Is Jessica Simpson truly dumb or dumb like a fox?
Is sex better at home or on the road?
Is technology bringing people closer together or driving them apart? Yes, No.
Is there any circumstance that justifies a woman asking her husband to hold her purse?
Is using a blow-up sex doll a form of cheating? Yes, No.
Is white a color? Yes, No.
Kids can no longer play dodge ball at school. Has the fear of lawsuits officially made us a nation of wimps? Yes, No.
Sex is better before or after getting married?
Should America adopt the practice of some European cultures of closing down all businesses on Sunday? Yes, No.
Should elected official be held to I.Q. tests? Yes, No.
Should high school students be excused from academic classes to play sports? Yes, No.
Should it be illegal for motorcyclists to drive between lanes, or should that be a perk for risking their lives every time they go out?
Should marijuana be punished the same as other illicit drugs? Yes, No.
Should motorized scooters be legal, or are they just accidents waiting to happen?
Should Native Americans living on reservations be held to the same laws as the rest of the nation? Yes, No.
Should professional runners be allowed to wear portable stereos, or would listening to Metallica give them an unfair advantage in the record books?
Should we do away with pennies? Yes, No.
The best writing takes place in magazines or books?
The most ridiculous price mark-ups occur at the airport or at the movie theater?
Was Olive Oil a tease? Yes, No.
When fraudulent lawsuits are filed against celebrities, should the plaintiffs receive a sentence befitting the phony crime?
When the U.S. created the right to bear arms, we had reason to use them. Is it time to repeal that right? Yes, No.
When you win the lottery, is it better to take payments or one lump sum?
When you’re angry, is it helpful to punch a pillow, or does it only make things worse?
Where do you find the worst lines: the DMV or the post office?
Which causes more weight gain: fast-food or sweets?
Which does more to bring families together: funerals or weddings?
Which is a bigger headache: a tax audit or a one-week visit from the in-laws?
Which is a more effective parenting tool: a timeout or a short but certain spanking?
Which is a more ruthless environment: high school or corporate America?
Which is hurting our economy the most: rising gas prices or the frivolous lawsuit?
Which is more dignified: burial or cremation?
Which is more important: physical fitness or fiscal fitness?
In the shower, which is the superior system of lathering our body: top to bottom, bottom to top, or basic randomness?
Who are better drivers: men or women?
Who has the most “cush” job: Vanna White (Wheel of Fortune) or Kevin Eubanks (The Tonight Show)?
Who is crazier: motocross racers or big wave surfers?
Who is ditsier: women with big cleavage or the men around them?
Who is easier to understand: Bob Dylan or Jesse Jackson?
Who is funnier: David Letterman or Jay Leno?
Who is less trustworthy: car dealers or real estate agents?
Who was more important to rock and roll: Elvis or the Beatles?
Who has it better: Hugh Heffner or Bill Gates?
Will humans travel at the speed of light in the next 100 years? Yes, No.
Will newspapers endure or be lost to technology?
Would a machine that instantly chills food be embraced like the microwave? Yes, No.
Would baseball be more interesting if we took a Marxist approach and redistributed the money equally among all players, who would then play for the cities nearest their birthplace? Yes, No.
Would crime subside if we were to change prison uniforms to neon pink floral patterns? Yes, No.
Would you be more concerned if your son were to devote himself to community theater or to the World Wrestling Federation?
Which is the bigger problem for bad drivers: failure to understand The Merge Concept or driving entirely too conservatively?
Which is more therapeutic: one hour of massage or one hour of psychotherapy?
If you were to call them at the same time, who would arrive first: the police or Domino’s Pizza?
If you’ve been divorced three times, are you qualified or unqualified to give marital advice? Yes, No.
Should there be an age limit for drivers? Yes, No.
Which costs more money: putting the weight on or taking it off?
Who has worse karma: Hitler or Hussein?

Who Playing This Game

If this were the 1700s, who playing this game would be burned at the stake?
Who playing this game could blend in a Coors Light commercial?
Who playing this game might run off with the circus?
Who playing this game secretly keeps voodoo dolls of the rest of us?
Who playing this game would look the funniest in a carnival mirror?
Who playing this game can probably communicate with the dead?
The face of which player would look best on a postage stamp?
Who playing this game could convert a homosexual member of the opposite sex?
Who playing this game could go the longest without speaking?
Who playing this game could handle a job at the morgue?
Who playing this game could have a B.S. in BS?
Who playing this game could live in a steam room?
Who playing this game could pass as a European?
Who playing this game could take the TV apart and put it back together?
Who playing this game could talk a madman off the ledge of a building (into the building, not to the ground)?
Who playing this game could handle the spiciest chili?
Who playing this game could most use a hug?
Who playing this game gets along better with animals than with humans?
Who playing this game gives the worst presents?
Everyone has “baggage.” Who playing this game has a mate with matching baggage?
Who playing this game has been the slowest to embrace technology?
Who playing this game has the best poker face?
Who playing this game has the most pet peeves?
Who playing this game has the strangest parents?
Who playing this game has the sweetest job?
Who playing this game is closest to androgyny (equally masculine and feminine)?
Who playing this game is posing as a human to conduct research on behalf of the mother ship?
Who playing this game is most likely snapping photos with his or her spy camera?
Who playing this game is most likely to be struck by lightning (any moment even)?
Who playing this game is most likely to follow the instructions of a chain letter?
Who playing this game is most likely to initiate conversation in an elevator?
Who playing this game is most politically correct?
Who playing this game is probably secretly involved in a cult?
Who playing this game is the biggest hypochondriac?
Who playing this game is the luckiest to be alive?
Who playing this game is the biggest stickler about expiration dates on food?
Who playing this game is the most frugal (which is to say a cheapskate)?
Who playing this game is the worst driver?
Who playing this game makes the funniest sounds when they sleep?
Who playing this game might be wanted for crimes in other states?
Who playing this game spends the most time in the bathroom (for whatever reason)?
Who playing this game talks the funniest?
Who playing this game wakes up the grumpiest?
Who playing this game was probably the biggest handful as a child?
Who playing this game will be the first to own a personal robot?
Who playing this game would be the last to crack if tortured for information?
Who playing this game could drive their therapist nuts?
Who playing this game would look silliest in a bumper car?
Who playing this game would make the best prison guard?
Who playing this game would it be the strangest to hear curse?
Who playing this game would crash their car to avoid hitting a small animal?
Who playing this game could pass for a movie star?
Who playing this game could sell ice to an Eskimo?
Who playing this game has spoken the most words, lifetime?
Who playing this game has the best voice for phone sex?
Who playing this game is most likely to hand out raisins at Halloween?
Who playing this game is the most regimented in their rituals?
Who playing this game stands out most in a crowd?
Who playing this game would be last one standing on Survivor?
With whom in this room would you more readily be stranded on a deserted isle?

Open-Ended Questions

By what date should you take down your Christmas lights?
How long do you keep a loved one in a coma before pulling the plug?
How long does it take to be completely moved in to a new home?
At what age do you teach your child about sex?
At what age is it appropriate for girls to start wearing makeup?
When should a woman stop breast-feeding her baby?
At what store will you find the nicest clothes, spare no expense?
Best member of Saturday Night Live, all-time?
What is a fair amount of time to keep a greeting card from a loved one?
How many times per week must one work out to stay fit?
How many years should you know someone—minimum—before asking them to help you move?
How much is too much money to spend on a wedding?
How much should you pay the babysitter hourly?
How often should a grown man call his mother to say hello?
If you could name a hurricane, what would be the best name?
If you, the person reading this card, were a candy bar, which candy bar would you be?
In what genre of music can the truly untalented musician excel?
Providing that things went well, how long do you wait before calling someone after a first date?
What animal do you, the person holding this card, most resemble?
What food stinks most rottenly when it goes bad?
What is a reasonable amount to pay for child support?
What is the best indication that someone is superficial?
What is the best place to find a partner for a long-term relationship?
What is the biggest waste of paper in America (aside from the card you’re holding)? note: a little self-deprecating humor and not the opinion of this writer.
What is the dirtiest city in America?
What is the first sign that the honeymoon is over?
What is the least useful college degree?
What is the most annoying part about formal gatherings?
What is the most common phobia (e.g., fear of flying, fear of failure, fear of debate)?
What is the most damaging drug in America?
What is the most disgusting insect?
What is the most important article of clothing for lookin’ good?
What is the most important feature in a new home (e.g., the view, closet space, the fact that it’s not on wheels)
What is the most important non-living object to save during a fire?
What is the most memorable advertising jingle ever?
What is the most painful machine at the health club?
What is the most prestigious university in America?
What is the most traumatizing part of high school?
What is the most trustworthy source of news?
What is the nicest hotel chain?
What is the one thing you don’t want to forget before a first date?
What is the ugliest animal?
What is the least attractive car on the road?
What is the worst pick-up line ever?
What symbol best represents the state you’re in (the state of the union, not your emotional condition)?
What’s the most frivolous lawsuit ever?
What’s the worst part about growing old?
What’s the worst part about Christmas shopping?
What’s the youngest you can die of old age?
Where in the house is the best place to store a wad of cash?
Where in the U.S. will you find the most pretentious people?
Where will you find the filthiest restrooms?
Where will you find the worst cab drivers in the world?
Which celebrity will be the next to enter a mental hospital?
Which charity could we really do without?
Which is the least pleasant airport in America?
Which is the most respected name in electronics?
Which of the seven dwarfs would you, the person reading this card, be?
Which profession has the most hideous uniforms?
Which professional sport has the sexiest athletes?
Which professional sport suffers most at the hand of drugs?
Which state has the worst crime?
Which war has been the most destructive to the U.S.?
Which was the most adorable Beatle?
What is the most famous cartoon character of all time?
Why do so few city dwellers smile and say hello?
What is the most recognizable song of all time?
What’s on the radio in hell?
At what age are you too old to have a baby?
Which alcohol hits hardest the following day?
Which athletes are in the best physical condition?
Who is the dumbest celebrity in Hollywood?

Fact or Fiction

Americans should have the right to burn their own flag.
America has a handle on its drug problems.
Americans are lazier than Europeans.
Blind dates are strictly for the desperate.
Art is not about what other people think.
Blacks are better athletes than whites.
“Debate This!” is more fun than Monopoly.
Cats are smarter than dogs.
The clothes make the man.
Coed softball is a bad idea for a couple.
Congress would be more effective if it were boiled down to its ten wisest members.
Cupid is a sadist.
Dieting ultimately causes weight gain.
Fast-food is responsible for America’s weight problem.
Flu shots are counterproductive.
Food tastes better when someone else makes it.
Gays are more promiscuous than breeders.
Golf is the most frustrating sport on earth.
Having children strengthens a marriage.
Horror movies aren’t scary anymore.
If we ban tobacco, it will only empower organized crime.
Ignorance is bliss.
In the next 20 years, men in the media will be as naked as the women.
It’s cruel to declaw a cat.
It’s cruel to take a baby’s temperature rectally?
It’s harmless for a married man to check out other woman so long as he doesn’t engage.
It’s okay to eat a piece of candy from the bin at the supermarket so long as you’re going to spend a lot of money on groceries.
It’s okay to pass gas loudly so long as you say “excuse me” in a childlike voice.
Killing a police officer should be punished more severely than killing a civilian.
Lamaze classes prepare a woman for childbirth.
Life insurance is a scam.
Marriage makes you gain weight.
Men conspire to hold back intelligent women.
Microsoft is hatching plans to take over the world.
Mythology is a waste of school time.
Nice guys finish last.
Pedestrians have a false sense of security when they use the crosswalk.
People are capable of healing themselves of most ailments.
People generally do not return books that are leant to them.
People need diets because our bodies cannot be trusted to stay slender.
People who live in the city are more mature than people who live in the country.
People who use Internet dating services are asking for trouble.
Push-up bras are a form of false advertising.
Separate vacations are good for a marriage.
Sex education encourages children to have sex.
Sex on the first date dooms any chance of a lasting relationship.
Showing up late is a sign of disrespect.
Teachers get too much vacation time to complain about salary.
The drinking age should be lowered to age 18.
The hippies changed the world for the better.
The Mafia is alive and well in America.
There are no new movies in Hollywood.
There are too many needless, unneeded, unnecessary words in the English language.
We could never love our spouse the way we do our children.
Wealthy men are more likely to cheat on their spouse than are men in other classes.
White lies are okay on occasion.
Drivers whose hands are in the 10:00-2:00 position cannot be trusted.
If the alarm clock woke you up this morning, you didn’t get enough sleep.
It is unnecessary to shower every day, even if you’re not French.
It’s okay to look inside a stranger’s medicine cabinet so long as you need something.
Motorcycles are for people who aren’t particularly attached to their lives.
The field goals is no more pertinent to football than is archery.

Take a Stand

Who has more of an impact on your life: your teachers or your friends?
Are electric cars the answer to our fuel issues?
Should insurance plans cover chiropractic care?
Would you rather your child be the class clown or the teacher’s pet?
Do the SAT’s accurately evaluate a student’s comprehension?
Would you support a measure to ban fraternities (frat-free universities)?
Which is prettier: the sunrise or the sunset?
Which TV channel could we really do without: The Weather Channel or the Shopping Channel?
Which is worse: rainy days or Mondays?
Which restaurant has grosser, stickier tables: Denny’s or IHOP?
If every citizen were required to vote, which party would benefit most?
Should the failure to vote be punishable by fine?
If you could do it all over again, would you?
Is it stranger to name your car or your private parts?
Daylight savings time started as part of a war effort. Is it time to abandon the system?
Does packaging sell the CD?
Is it cheating for a man to use a phone sex line?
Should Cliff’s Notes be considered contraband in high schools?
Which is the bigger waste of tree: phone books or glamour mags?
Which is the bigger commitment: marriage or children?
Should there be a minimum age to carry cell phones?
Instead of Social Security, how about a “senior tax” imposed upon children to take care of their elderly parents?
Which is the greater time sink: TV or the Internet?
Is it wise to spend leisure time with the boss?
You’ve got a 200-mile trip: plane, train, or automobile?
Should convicted felons be allowed to continue playing professional sports?
Which poses a greater threat to “reality”: cryonics (freezing people for later) or cloning?
Is it ever okay to make change in the church collection plate?
Are children ruder today than they were 50 years ago?
Should we have female referees in the NBA?
Which is more believable: ghosts or aliens?
Would you support a system whereby the police force is divided into those who issue traffic tickets and those who deal with more significant crimes?
Which were better: the Harry Potter books or the Harry Potter movies?
Who was the more competent leader: Captain Kirk or Captain Picard?
If you could live forever, would you want to?
Which is the greater natural disaster: hurricanes or teen pregnancy?
Is dream analysis therapeutic fact or fantasy?
Is “happy food” (meat from animals that are allowed to roam freely) better than regular meat?
Which was the cutest Beetle?
Is it normal for a man to at some point consider the possibility of a homosexual encounter?
Which is better in a book: footnotes or endnotes?
Is it possible to sleep too much, or is that just a rumor spread by alarm clock zombies?
Is acupuncture legit?
Would our country be safer if every household had a gun?
Which makes a better pet: cats or dogs?
What banana is more satisfying: short, thick ones or long, narrow ones? [Reminder: there may be children in the room.]
Is the cheetah fast enough to escape extinction?
Who is of greater spiritual service: Jerry Seinfeld or Jerry Fallwell?
Who is less of an athlete: relief pitchers in baseball or kickers in football?

Open-Ended

What grade school subject was the most fun?
What is one thing you should absolutely refrain from eating on a first date?
What is the hardest kind of fish to catch?
What was the best episode of The Twilight Zone?
What is one purchase where you should never, ever cut corners?
Which award ceremony should we lose first? (Golden Globes, Soap Opera Awards, etc.)
Which country poses the greatest threat to global security?
The best Christmas flick of all-time?
Which charity is most deserving of your contribution?
Who was the best Bond … James Bond?
Who, in his heyday, was the best-looking President?
What is the stinkiest cheese?
The most important spice in the kitchen?
Which public official looks the guiltiest of lying on camera?
Which comedian best understands that it’s all just a game?
What one-hit wonder had one hit too many?
What kitchen appliance should be grafted onto every body?
What food do you absolutely refrain from eating on a first date?
Which religion comes with the coolest headwear?
After lettuce and dressing, what is the most important part of a salad?
You know you’re getting old when BLANK.
You know you’re getting fat when BLANK.
Which state leads the U.S. in fatty cuisine?
What is the best way to keep your children from doing drugs?
If you could hide from God, where would that be?
What U.S. city has the most miserable living conditions?
If you had a hammer, when you would you hammer?
What would you buy with your last dollar?
What is the worst way to die?
What is the most erotic fruit or vegetable?
If you could super-size one thing in your life, what would it be?
What is the sexiest car?
Cruelest name for a child?
What is the song most strongly associated with the sixties?
What song will make you scream if you hear it one more time?
The best pick-me-up song of all time?
War is God’s way of BLANK.
What celebrity relies most heavily on airbrushing?
What is one book that everyone needs to read in their lifetime?
What we don’t need is one more BLANK.
What is the ultimate vacation spot?
What could corporations do to make the workplace more fun? (Should, for example, the term “office pool” be taken literally?)
What are the perfect workday hours?

Who Playing This Game?

Who playing this game might really, actually make plans to rearrange the sock drawer?
Who playing this game would make the silliest Santa Clause?
Who playing this game would never, ever be elected President?
Who playing this game is most likely to run with the bulls in Pamplona?
Who playing this game parted most frivolously with their virginity?
Who playing this game has the worst driving record?
Who playing this game is most likely to hurt himself in the kitchen?
Who playing this game has the most acute psychic abilities?
Who playing this game had the easiest childhood?
Of the people playing this game, whose life is most like a spinning plates act?
Who playing this game would be first to forget the little people upon winning the lottery?
Who playing this game is worst at keeping a secret?
Who playing this game has the hardest time resisting a ringing telephone?
Who playing this game is the dirtiest dancer? [bonus points for demonstrating]
Who playing this game could use a maid?
Who playing this game is the worst procrastinator? [we can come back to this question]
Who playing
Who playing this game wastes the most water?
Who playing this game has the dirtiest mind?
Who playing this game is most likely, while having sex, to think of something else?
Who playing the game could look good in a rainbow wig?
Who playing this game could save the day if we were in desperate need of useless information?
Who playing this game is most likely to be struck by lightning?
Of the people playing this game, who has the best name for a candy bar?
Who playing this game is most qualified to be a movie critic?
If the judge of this game were a car, which car would they be?
Who playing this game would make for the most interesting “Behind the Scenes” on VH1?
Who playing this game could blend at a blues club?
What book or movie title best describes the judge of this game?
Who is playing this game most ruthlessly?
Who playing this game would make the best mannequin (to be distinguished from a dummy)?
Who playing this game could convince you to join a cult?
Who playing this game is schmoozing the most for points?
Who playing this game could handle being Amish?
Who playing this game has the most cause to feel that the others are conspiring against 'em?
Who playing this game is most likely to give away all their possessions and devote their life to a higher power?

Notes

In the directions/promo, you could include something like: “You will find a thing or two about the ethics of friends and family … maybe even about yourself.”
There could be some sort of Stipulation Rule. Example. A question may read, “Is it okay to give away, as a gift, a present that you received from someone else?” Players may have to decide some things up front. Is the gift in the package? Was it given to you by a loved one or a coworker? Perhaps the judge can decide.
More for directions: “Everyone is entitled to their own warped opinions.”
Goldbrick—games for your head.
Judges should give demerits for foul play: shaming, condescension, personal judgments.
Debates cannot end in “whatever” or “talk to the hand.”
You can have a “Johnny Cochrane Clause,” which says that even if you don’t have a case, make something up. Play the race card if you have to. On second thought, we don’t want to start a debate before they even get out of the instructions.
You will learn something about the others and maybe about yourself. One thing is certain – you will have loads of fun. On this we can all agree.
I would present the game with a sense of humor: lighthearted design, fun instructions, self-deprecating jokes.
You can place on the box a motto that reads, Disagree agreeably or don’t disagree at all.
The first round might be called “State Your Case.” Encourage the players to give examples instead of generalizations: not “People who drive SUVs should be shot,” but, “I heard on the news that SUVs consume twice as much gasoline as compacts.” By remaining composed, we gain points with the jury. The loudest player doesn’t win but the one who makes the most sense.
One issue that I was unable to resolve is the fact that other players will have a vested interest in who wins a debate. The judges will be inclined to vote for whoever is not in the lead. You might have a designated juror and call it “The Hot Spot.”
Perhaps you could provide a plastic sand timer to limit the players’ arguments. During that time, there should be no interruptions.
This game is actually an interesting exercise in diplomacy. It is in keeping with all the self-help books about detaching from our opinions and refusing to get pulled in to emotional tug-of-wars.
Part of the instructions might read: “When the game is over, you are required to shake hands with the other players and say, ‘Good debate.’ If you leave with hard feelings, then you are not likely to play again, and frankly we, the game maker, cannot accept that.”
In one of your sample questions, the word “annex” should be replaced with “omit” or “remove.”
Because players will be forced to defend arguments that aren’t necessarily their own, you might even call the game “Devil’s Advocate.” Then again, it could be a marketing blunder for the word “devil” to appear in the title.
Encourage players to concede a point now and again to demonstrate their fairness and, if it so happens, gain credibility with the jury.
For the instructions: “Healthy debate is a time-honored tradition embraced by sages through the ages, from the senators of Rome to the founding fathers of America.”
You could plug it as “The game that everyone is yelling about!” Perhaps the game could make a name for itself by virtue of the fact that things get heated up.
I would be happy to proofread the questions and/or instructions when the time comes. I worked for years as a copyeditor and proofreader at Sage Publications.