Here’s a review of the questions:
- Whose controversial 1989 art installation at Cincinnati’s Contemporary Arts Center caused an uproar among conservatives who objected to photographs of classical nudes, sensual flowers, and five explicit images of gay S&M culture?
- What is the name of the hugely popular tennis tournament that takes place every August at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, OH?
- What was the name of the Southgate, KY, entertainment venue that burned, tragically, in 1977, killing 165 people? Bonus question: What entertainer was headlining the club that night?
And here are the answers:
- Cincinnati’s art scene was in the cross-hairs of American culture because of Robert Mapplethorp’s exhibit, “The Perfect Moment.” Hamilton County prosecutors charged the museum and its director with obscenity, the first time criminal charges had been levied against a museum in the United States. The defendants were found not guilty. Mapplethorpe died of AIDS in March of 1989, months before the exhibit opened. In retrospect, much of the blame for the uproar is attributed to conservative Americans’ fear and ignorance of the AIDS crisis.
- The Western and Southern Open was last won by Novak Djokovic in the men’s competition and Victoria Azarenka in the women’s. The tournament has been played since 1899 and is the nation’s oldest professional tennis tournament played in its city of origin. It has played host to over 100 International Tennis Hall of Famers throughout its illustrious history.
- The Beverly Hills Supper Club fire was the third worst nightclub fire in American history. On May 28, 1977, the venue, known as the “Showplace of the Midwest,” was crowded to twice its capacity. It was not protected by sprinklers or firewalls, and its fire exits were inadequate and poorly marked. The fire began during the opening act’s routine. Comedians Jim Teeter and Jim McDonald were onstage, preparing the crowd for headliner John Davidson. A busboy ran onstage and announced the building was on fire, and many in the audience thought at first that it was a joke and part of their act.
Thanks for playing!