Internet goes nuts for U.K. game show contestant’s ludicrous last name
Want to become an instant Internet sensation? Follow these two simple steps:
1. Have an absurdly long and hard-to-pronounce last name that sounds made up.
2. Appear on a televised game show that requires you to sit behind a large placard with said name printed on it.
Barto Joly de Lotbiniere (Barto!) followed the above instructions last night when he appeared as a contestant on the BBC Two academic quiz show “University Challenge,” and the rest is trending-on-Twitter history.
“University Challenge” has a set-up similar to “Jeopardy!,” in that student contestants must sit behind backlit placards emblazoned with their names, writ large.
Poor Joly de Lotbiniere’s surname barely fit on the card, a fact that numerous Twitter users gleefully noted:
And it wasn’t just the length of his name that amused viewers it was its sheer preposterousness:
Others were simply perplexed as to how to say the name out loud:
And some keen viewers picked up on the fact that this wasn’t Joly de Lotbiniere’s first appearance on the show:
Yes, it seems Joly de Lotbiniere was a contestant way back in August, when his name also caused something of a stir.
While the Twittersphere may find Joly de Lotbiniere to be a comically unlikely surname, a quick Google search reveals it be surprisingly common.
Notable Joly de Lotbinieres include the fourth premier of Quebec, a French businessman and amateur daguerreotypist, and a successful BBC documentary producer. Three cheers for the Joly de Lotbinieres!
Thankfully, there will be some vindication for Joly de Lotbiniere: his team from the University of York won the evening’s challenge, which means he’ll be back for another round — of online torment.