Tuesday, December 15, 2009

The Pivot Questionnaire

It was so fun to hear Mike Nichols answer these questions asked at the end of every Inside the Actors Studio interview, I looked them up.
They originally came from Bernard Pivot, host of a French series, Bouillon de Culture, a variation on the Proust Questionnaire, which I posted last year.

I haven't seen this as a meme, but I invite you all to answer the questions, if you like, in the comments or on your blog.
As much as possible, answer as if you're being interviewed, off the top of your head:

1. What is your favorite word?
2. What is your least favorite word?
3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
4. What turns you off?
5. What is your favorite curse word?
6. What sound or noise do you love?
7. What sound or noise do you hate?
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
9. What profession would you not like to do?
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

_____________________
Here are my answers:

1. What is your favorite word?
fern

2. What is your least favorite word?
no [said to me]

3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
paradox

4. What turns you off?
certainty (the bombastic kind)

5. What is your favorite curse word?
"fuck" is the one I use the most, but my favorite, which I never use, is "bugger"

6. What sound or noise do you love?
planes taking off (from inside one, I mean)

7. What sound or noise do you hate?
pets slurping themselves

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
um... what is my profession?
adventure guide

9. What profession would you not like to do?
adventure guide!

10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
[with delight] It's you! Well done.

6 comments:

momo said...

This is wonderful! I just watched a clip of Gabriel Byrne answering these questions and he hemmed and hawed over the favorite word, it was agony for his to have to choose. His favorite curse word was "bollocks".

I love your last answer.

Fresca said...

I hope you'll answer them too, Momo!

Annika said...

Yessss, time to spare and a mite of inspiration! I also followed your advice and answered before thinking too much, and before reading your answers. Mine would probably be more contrived and thought-out otherwise, you have a way of bringing new perspectives into my thoughts...

1. Favourite word: molekyl (Swedish for, well, I think you can guess.)
(And that clarification sounded completely different than I intended.)

2. Least favourite word: blatte
(a Swedish derogatory for immigrants. It's both the way it's used and the sheer combination of sounds that make me shiver.)

3. Turns me on: music. It opens gates somewhere in there that no other form of communication reaches.

4. Turns me off: stupidity.

5. Favourite curse word: herrejävlar (again, a Swedish one: it's spliced together from the first syllables ("herre") of the expression that corresponds to "oh my god!" and the very common "jävlar", corresponding to "fuck!".

6. Sound I love: waves lapping against a wooden pier.

7. Sound I hate: everything shrill - I think my hearing is getting affected by age.

8. Profession I'd like to attempt: opera singer. I'd love to play baroque trouser characters (already know one of Orpheus' arias from Gluck's opera, in case some major opera house calls).

9. Profession I'd not like to do: anything entailing much contact with people. The job I'd hate the most is probably police officer, but I wouldn't be very happy as e.g. a nurse, priest or teacher either.

10. God would say: "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do know everything. What would you like to know? I've got all day." or: "Where would you like to go next?"

Fresca said...

ANNIKA:
Thanks for doing this--it's wonderful! Your answers make me want to change all my answers.

I guess "molekyl" means "molecule"?
But yes, your comment made me think along different lines... : )

I especially like your last answer: "What would you like to know?" is indeed heavenly. God would be like one's own personal Wikipedia.
You know the quote from Jorge Luis Borges?
“I have always imagined heaven to be a kind of library."
Perfect.

Jennifer said...

I love this segment on the program and have never thought of doing it myself! Answers literally off the top of my head:

1. What is your favorite word? Dusk or Twilight (despite the horrible vampire book...it's the idea of blending, of in-between-ness)
2. What is your least favorite word? Cunt (so ugly)
3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Restrictions (I can't explain this one well, it just popped into my head so I went with it. I like sonnets and comedies of manners for the limitations and rules the writer has to work within, that thrills me somehow)
4. What turns you off? Whining
5. What is your favorite curse word? God Fucking Damnit (it's the mix of obscenity and profanity in one!)
6. What sound or noise do you love? The ocean
7. What sound or noise do you hate? Nails on chalkboard (cliche but true)
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Gardener
9. What profession would you not like to do? Salesperson
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Without seeing your answer, I immediately said "Well done" as well.

Fresca said...

I love this questionairre, and I love your answers too, Jen. Well done!

I feel similarly about restrictions--I work best with a bit of pressure to meet a deadline, for instance. I even find that I like the pressure of getting older and knowing the ultimate deadline is coming up (not too soon, I hope!)
And in relationships, in general I also like to see some boundaries...

"Salesperson", shudder. Perfect. I want to change my answer--I'd far rather be an adventure guide than a salesperson.

Thanks!