This Week on Landline: Ring Ring Revolution
A trivia game for Americans who might fail the citizenship test—and still feel patriotic about it.
The Time I Asked Who "Judge Scotus" Was
Several years ago, I was in D.C.
My ex-husband had just been hired to clerk for the Chief Justice of the United States.
We were on our way to a Supreme Court cocktail party—something formal and marble-adjacent.
On the way out the door, I turned to him and asked:
“Wait... who is Judge Scotus again?”
I thought Scotus was a person. Like a single dude.
“Judge Scotus.” Just one guy. Doing law.
He stared at me. Blinked.
“That’s… an acronym.”
As in, Supreme Court of the United States.
As in, the building we were literally en route to.
As in, the boss he’d just been hired to work for.
To be fair, I went to Harvard. Just not the part that teaches acronyms.
That’s when it hit me:
We live in a country where you can go to elite schools, vote in every election, fly with TSA PreCheck—and still have no idea what’s actually going on.
Introducing: Ring Ring Revolution
So this week on Landline, we’re launching a new game:
Ring Ring Revolution—a trivia showdown for Americans of all backgrounds, educations, and deeply embarrassing gaps in knowledge.
We call you.
You answer the phone.
Then everything goes downhill.
Sample questions:
What U.S. President once got stuck in a bathtub?
What’s the only state that lets you legally throw yourself a birthday parade?
Which U.S. state still allows duels to settle disputes—as long as both parties are not intoxicated?
It starts fun. Gets weird. Then turns shockingly official.
Because yes—some of these questions come straight from the U.S. Citizenship Test.
And if you miss one?
“Sorry, that’s incorrect. Please report to Venezuela.”
Why This Game Matters (Even If It’s Dumb)
This isn’t a protest.
It’s not performative.
It’s not even that serious.
But it is a little true.
Because being an American today means holding two things at once:
A sense of pride
And a creeping suspicion you couldn’t pass the test required to become one
This game is for citizens, immigrants, expats, and anyone who’s ever said “it’s a free country” while failing to name three branches of government.
🎯 Want to Be a Contestant?
Think you’ve got what it takes?
Sign up here to be a contestant:
👉 Submit to Play Ring Ring Revolution 👈
We’ll call you live on air this Wednesday at 7 PM Central.
🎧 Listen. ☎️ Call In. 💥 Share.
🎧 Listen to the episode
☎️ Call in live Wednesdays at 7 PM CT (615) 212-5437
📬 Leave a voicemail anytime or submit your story/question here
💥 Share this post if you’ve ever said “Judge Scotus” and meant it
That time a host tests her audience’s intelligence and comes away visibly shaken. Dramatically scales back her goals and states she overestimated what America can achieve.