Quiz She Memes Well Quinta Brunson

She Memes Well Quiz: 20 Questions on Quinta Brunson's Memoir

How to Use This Quiz {#how-to-use-this-quiz}

This quiz covers the full arc of Quinta Brunson's She Memes Well, from her childhood recitals and early internet discoveries to her viral fame, career pivots, and the defining moments of 2020. Questions are grouped into four sections: plot and sequence, character motivation, theme and symbol, and synthesis. Multiple-choice questions have one correct answer; short-answer questions ask you to recall a specific fact or articulate a concise idea. The complete answer key with brief explanations appears at the end.

If you want to review before you start, see the book overview, browse common questions and answers, or read the ending explained.

Plot and Sequence (Questions 1–8) {#plot-and-sequence}

1. What catchphrase made Brunson's character go viral?

  • A) “He got money!”

  • B) “People be gay”

  • C) “I'm calling the police”

  • D) “Space Jam”

2. Put these events in the correct chronological order:

  1. First children's recital performance

  2. Transfer to CHAD

  3. Move to Los Angeles

  4. BuzzFeed job

  • A) 1, 2, 3, 4

  • B) 2, 1, 4, 3

  • C) 1, 4, 2, 3

  • D) 3, 1, 2, 4

3. What was the name of the elementary school program centered on Black history?

  • A) Ahali

  • B) CHAD

  • C) Harrity Elementary

  • D) L and L Dance Productions

4. What happened at the parking lot fight in Chapter 5?

  • A) Tiara yelled and the fight broke up quickly

  • B) Brunson used her razor

  • C) The police arrived

  • D) Brittny fought one of the girls

5. (Short answer) What was the first viral video Brunson remembers seeing?

6. What job did Brunson have before moving to Los Angeles?

  • A) Apple Store employee

  • B) BuzzFeed writer

  • C) Fashion assistant

  • D) Phone sex operator

7. What happened at the protest in Chapter 20?

  • A) Police used tear gas and rubber bullets, and Brunson had a panic attack

  • B) Brunson was arrested

  • C) The protest was peaceful and short

  • D) Brunson gave a speech

8. What was the name of the dance studio where Brunson took ballet and acrobatics?

  • A) L and L Dance Productions

  • B) Second City

  • C) CHAD

  • D) Manayunk Timber

Character Motivation (Questions 9–13) {#character-motivation}

9. Why did Brunson's mother enroll her at Ahali?

  • A) To center Black history in her education

  • B) Because it was close to home

  • C) Because her friends went there

  • D) Because it was free

10. Why did Brunson agree to go to the fight for Tiara?

  • A) Philadelphia High School Law and friendship loyalty

  • B) She wanted to fight

  • C) Tiara paid her

  • D) She was bored

11. Why did Brunson's mother cry about the hoop earrings?

  • A) She didn't want Quinta to get lost to the world

  • B) She thought they were too expensive

  • C) She was angry about the step team

  • D) She wanted Quinta to be a teacher

12. Why did Brunson quit Apple the first time?

  • A) She realized she came to LA for comedy, not tech

  • B) She was fired

  • C) She got a better job

  • D) She moved back to Philly

13. (Short answer) Why did Brunson stop wearing braids?

Theme and Symbol (Questions 14–17) {#theme-and-symbol}

14. What does the “V for victory” costume symbolize in Chapter 2?

  • A) Victory, performance, and being seen

  • B) Her family's wealth

  • C) Her love of cheerleading

  • D) Her desire to leave Philadelphia

15. What does the couch symbolize in Chapter 20?

  • A) A place of defining moments and change

  • B) Laziness and stagnation

  • C) Her apartment in LA

  • D) The pandemic

16. What do memes represent throughout the book?

  • A) The evolution of communication and language

  • B) A passing fad

  • C) A way to make money

  • D) A form of entertainment only

17. (Short answer) What did the boat-building experience at Manayunk symbolize for Brunson?

Synthesis (Questions 18–20) {#synthesis}

18. (Short answer) How does Brunson's experience with the “He Got Money” meme connect to her broader views on internet fame?

19. (Short answer) How do the “Quinta's Classics” chapters contribute to the book's overall themes?

20. (Short answer) What does Brunson mean when she says “recording our lives is recording history”?

Answer Key {#answer-key}

1. A — The “He Got Money” catchphrase from her Instagram sketch went viral and became the meme that launched her career. The other options are memes or phrases from elsewhere in the book: “People be gay” was a tweet, “I'm calling the police” was a Shrek meme she admired, and “Space Jam” was the song from her acrobatics routine.

2. A — Brunson performed in her first recital at age five, transferred to CHAD in her sophomore year, moved to LA after saving money at her Apple Store job, and later joined BuzzFeed after her viral success.

3. A — Ahali was a first-through-fifth-grade program at Harrity Elementary that centered Black history across all subjects. CHAD was her high school, and L and L Dance Productions was her dance studio.

4. A — The fight broke up quickly when Tiara yelled at the girls to leave her cousin alone. Brunson never used her razor, and no one was arrested.

5. The “Peanut Butter Jelly Time” dancing banana video, which her brother Kwei showed her in 2001 on Netscape.

6. A — She worked at the Apple Store, saved a thousand dollars, and then moved to LA. BuzzFeed came later, after her viral success.

7. A — Police used tear gas and rubber bullets, and Brunson had a panic attack before her friend Jak helped her find her boyfriend.

8. A — L and L Dance Productions, where teachers Miss Hollie and Miss Denise prepared students for recitals. Second City was her improv school in LA.

9. A — Her mother, an educator, enrolled her there to center Black history in her education.

10. A — Philadelphia High School Law required loyalty to friends, and Brunson didn't want to lose another friendship after the Cassandra fallout.

11. A — Her mother cried and said she didn't want Quinta to get lost to the world, reflecting a fear rooted in losing two siblings to drugs and alcohol.

12. A — A frustrating encounter with a customer made her realize she came to LA for comedy, not tech.

13. She had traction alopecia from tight braids, which damaged her edges.

14. A — The red sequin V represented victory and the thrill of being seen on stage, which inspired her to pursue performance.

15. A — The couch was where she learned about Emmy nominations, sold a show to ABC, got engaged, and finished the book — a place of defining moments.

16. A — Brunson argues memes are a form of language and communication that evolves over time, comparing them to the printing press and other communication shifts.

17. It connected her to her ancestors' resilience and the weight of Black history.

18. The meme showed her the power of lo-fi, accessible creativity and how internet fame can be both empowering and limiting. It also taught her to perform on her own terms — she refused to do the catchphrase on demand — and reinforced her belief that internet fame is democratizing but comes with a loss of anonymity.

19. The chapters show how pop culture shaped her identity, humor, and values, reinforcing the book's theme that we are made up of defining moments and influences.

20. Brunson believes that documenting her life online and in writing preserves history and gives her experiences lasting significance beyond ephemeral media — a core argument of the book's opening chapter.

Published by What Happened?

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