Room Escape Artist

“Funerals are often a popularity contest, right?”

Funerals are usually pretty somber affairs, right? Everyone wears black and gathers to respectfully mourn the dearly departed.

Well, in parts of rural China and Taiwan, they’ve decided to put the fun in “fun”erals. More people attending a funeral procession usually means more honor to the deceased. Well, some enterprising relatives decided to up the ante by not only hosting a party with a live band, but they also invited dancers! This spectacle guaranteed a large crowd for their lost family member, which apparently appeased the spirits.

Author and podcaster A.J. Jacobs joins us to chat about this little known funeral practice. Today’s game is called Going Topless, where each answer is a word that becomes another word when you remove the first letter.

If you enjoy PG’s Playhouse, we highly recommend A.J.’s podcast Hello Puzzlers, which contains bite-sized puzzle snacks, perfect for listening on the go. Learn more about A.J. Jacobs at his website.

Time Stamps

• 01:58 Game: Going Topless
• 12:41 About: A.J. Jacobs & Hello Puzzlers! Podcast
• 18:55 Topic: Chinese Funeral Strippers
• 27:38 Credits

Guest: A.J. Jacobs

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IG: @ajjacobsinc

Twitter: @ajjacobs

A.J. Jacobs is an author, journalist, lecturer and human guinea pig. He has written four New York Times bestsellers that combine memoir, science, humor and a dash of self-help. Among his books are “The Year of Living Biblically” and “The Know-It-All.” He has told several Moth stories, and given several TED talks that have amassed over 10 million views.

His latest book is “The Puzzler,” which Booklist called “ridiculously entertaining,” and The New York Times called “A romp, both fun and funny.”

He was the answer to 1 Down in the March 8, 2014 New York Times crossword puzzle.

For more with A.J. Jacobs, check out REPOD S6E13: Inside the Puzzler Podcast with A.J. Jacobs and Greg Pliska:

More Podcasts from Peih-Gee & David

If you enjoy PG’s Playhouse, check out Reality Escape Pod (REPOD), where your hosts David Spira & Peih-Gee Law explore immersive gaming from all angles, alongside guests with incredible experience in this realm.

And by supporting Room Escape Artist on Patreon, you’ll get access to the REPOD Bonus After Show ($5 per month and up) and the Spoilers Club ($15 per month and up) where we chat in depth with creators about iconic escape rooms… spoilers and all!

Production Credits

• Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira
• Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law
• Produced by Theresa Piazza
• Supported by Lisa Spira
• Edited by Peih-Gee Law
• Music by Matt Farthing
• Logo by Theresa Wagner