Who is...Today’s Guest Host?

[ProudMary]

@PBnJay Thanks for posting a photo of the other tweets in the thread. I was not familiar with Lilly until, I think, last week when someone (very possibly you!) posted about her fun Jeopardy! fashion comments. Then this "controversy" popped up on my Twitter feed, courtesy of The Jeopardy Fan, whom I was already following. Jeopardy! was actually trending for a little while yesterday because of this. 😯 Now I'm following Lilly too. 🙂

I agree, it's wild that Mayim has chosen to comment like this during Ken's hosting period. If she's doing this on her own, she needs to have a PR person handle her social media because this is not the best look.

[Prevailing Wind]

I think she's shooting herself in the foot.

[possibilities]

20 minutes ago, Prevailing Wind said:

I think she's shooting herself in the foot.

I agree. She's going out of her way to alienate the fanbase. 

Maybe it's a sign that she knows she's already lost the job, because if not then it's just utterly stupid.

Actually, it's still stupid. It makes her look like a child with no impulse control and it's sloppy besides. I can forgive someone who goes after people who are actually lying about them or being nasty, but at least figure out who that is before you do it.

I honestly didn't have much of an opinion about her pro or con when this all started. But she's converting me to a lower and lower opinion of her every day.

[30 Helens]

Quote

I am not selling CBD Gummies of any kind and do not plan to do so at any point in the future.

You don’t plan to sell them? So there’s a chance that you might? OK, Miss Mayim. If you’re going to deny an allegation, at least be decisive about it. 

On 4/15/2022 at 5:17 PM, Prevailing Wind said:

I think she's shooting herself in the foot.

She seems to be getting overly defensive. Wardrobe comments should be the least of her concerns. She needs to step away from the Twitter. Or better yet, step away from the Jeopardy. That will make it stop!

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, 30 Helens said:

You don’t plan to sell them? So there’s a chance that you might? OK, Miss Mayim. If you’re going to deny an allegation, at least be decisive about it. 

She seems to be getting overly defensive. Wardrobe comments should be the least of her concerns. She needs to step away from the Twitter. Or better yet, step away from the Jeopardy. That will make it stop!

I’ll give her this one.  
There were numerous ads popping up on Facebook claiming she was selling CBD oil. I reported them as False   
(after checking that they were false, because of her silly brain supplements 🙄)   
and received confirmation from FB a few days later that they were false and the ads had been blocked.  
Then, a month later, new ones popped up.  
“Lather, rinse, repeat”  as the saying goes.
So I can see why she has her “dander up” over this one (Grandma pun).

But I also think someone in the biz for as long as she has been should have been able to handle it with more aplomb and humor. IDK. Maybe she can hire a PR person who watches late night comedians skewer fake news, since she’s legitimately too busy to do so herself.

And, at this point, bowing out of Jeopardy! will neither buy her enough time to watch and learn how late night comedians take down liars, nor will it make the click bait monkeys get off her back (unavoidable bad Grandma pun).

Edited April 17, 2022 by shapeshifter

[30 Helens]

5 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

I’ll give her this one.

Oh, I think she has every right to push back on false claims of this sort, even if I found her response a little humorously non-committal. 

But to get wound up over wardrobe comments? Calm down, Mayim. She probably does need a PR person— someone who can explain to her that responding to every comment just gives it more life.

[PBnJay]

12 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

She probably does need a PR person— someone who can explain to her that responding to every comment just gives it more life.

Her responding to every comment keeps her in the news, which is exactly what she's going for. Example: All the posts here about her that are here only because of her online rants and disclaimers. 

13 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

And, at this point, bowing out of Jeopardy!

... would make me (and someone else I know) very happy.

[30 Helens]

59 minutes ago, PBnJay said:

... would make me (and someone else I know) very happy.

I don’t know who you’re talking about, but my ears are burning! 🤣🤣

I hope this poll is a sign of things to come: https://www.tvinsider.com/1040484/jeopardy-permanent-host-poll-results-ken-jennings-mayim-bialik/

Quote

Of the votes cast, Jennings took the lead with a majority of 70 percent with 20,885 votes — meanwhile, Bialik came in at 30 percent at 8,798 votes. 

I know 29,000 votes is a pretty small sampling, but… it gives me hope.

[possibilities]

The thing is, Ken got a fair amount of criticism in the past. I was opposed to them hiring him until I saw him do a great job during Amy's run, and how he makes the contestants so comfortable, and the game goes smoothly. And as far as I know he hasn't done anything to attract criticism lately. 

But when you are in the public eye, you have to expect there will be scrutiny. It might be fair or unfair, but you're delusional to think there won't be any, and Mayim's been around long enough to know it will happen. 

So her strategy of punching back whether or not the thing she's reacting to is true, false, friendly, or rude, is a choice. I don't know why she does it, but I can't feel too sorry for her because she's not a kid who has no way to process what is happening. She's experienced, she's a full grown up, and she can hire advisors if she wants to.

I think some of the reactions to her are fair and others are unfair, but she handles them all the same way, and it makes no sense to me. 

I do think it's impressive that you can be a socially awkward, somewhat sloppy, middle aged, female, not going for the blow up doll role, and still have a career. She has always bucked expectations and somehow she's managed to keep working. So in that sense, good for her. Her errors strike me as graceless and sometimes I disagree with her about various things, but I've seen a lot worse and I don't think she's evil. 

I also think she's on to something at times, and that more of her detractors than would like to admit it are just hating her for being successful without catering to the feminine imperative to be submissive and bland and/or riotously catering to other things women are expected to do and men aren't. I imagine that makes her a bit reactive at times, and I wish she'd get a handle on that, because I think it would make her more effective and less easy to dismiss if she only called it out when it was actually true (she was wrong about Lilly's clothing commentary, even if it's generally true about women vs men being held to different standards with respect to "repeating an outfit").

 

[Prevailing Wind]

10 hours ago, possibilities said:

hat more of her detractors than would like to admit it are just hating her for being successful without catering to the feminine imperative to be submissive and bland and/or riotously catering to other things women are expected to do and men aren't.

That might be true, but not in my case. She's just a terrible J! host, whether she dresses like Vanna in borrowed clothes or wears her own sweatsuit weeks at a time. She's a terrible host no matter what.

[Jeanne222]

Any idea how much hosting pays?  I'm really tired of this show not picking a host!

I do give Jennings a lot of credit hanging in there.  But then his future in tv might be in 'jeopardy' if he says 'enough'!

[PBnJay]

10 hours ago, Prevailing Wind said:

She's just a terrible J! host, whether she dresses like Vanna in borrowed clothes or wears her own sweatsuit weeks at a time. She's a terrible host no matter what.

And a big AMEN to that. This was worth reposting, that's such a nail-on-the-head hitter for me.

BTW, Ryan Seacrest interviewed MB on his radio show this a.m. She's written a movie that's gone into production, starring Dustin Hoffman, who had no idea who MB is. LOL! Anyway, hoping this keeps her away from other "jobs." According to TJF, Ken is hosting for at least the next two weeks, so that's a tv reprieve for me. (And some others. You know who you are!)

Edited April 18, 2022 by PBnJay

[opus]

Some of you may not even realize TV Guide still exists, but anyhoo, this weeks cover....

 

 

Edited April 20, 2022 by opus

[rcc]

57 minutes ago, opus said:

Some of you may not even realize TV Guide still exists, but anyhoo, this weeks cover....

 

 

From TV Guide to TPTB's ears!

[ProudMary]

I honestly had no idea that you could still purchase a hard copy of TV Guide! I knew they had an online presence, but their website doesn't have the article available. This substantial excerpt is on TV Insider's site. Nice piece. Go Ken!

‘Jeopardy!’: Why Ken Jennings Deserves to Be the Permanent Host

[seacliffsal]

(small voice) I subscribe to t.v. guide so will be excited to read the article.  Go Ken!

[laredhead]

Seacliffsal, I also have a hard copy subscription.  They have changed their format over the years, and I find it useful when they condense all of the new shows, seasonal offerings, etc. into a couple of issues.  Beats having to find various websites.  I'm old.  I like hard copy and paper.

[30 Helens]

Good article, and makes a great case for Ken. 

Quote

He also seems genuinely interested in the contestants, whether it’s asking a North Carolina woman how her family wound up on the local news during the World Series or being presented with a personalized poem by a verse-loving player. “A double limerick…and they’re both clean, so we don’t have to cut them out,” he quipped. “Thank you!”

This is my favorite part about Ken as a host. I used to hate the interview segments— actually FF’d through most of them (sorry, former contestants reading this)— but now they’re a highlight for me.

Although the fate of Call Me Kat has not been decided, I read recently that it’s likely to be renewed. I think we are inching closer to Ken being named permanent host. (Daytime, anyway.) My fingers are crossed.

[PBnJay]

20 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

This is my favorite part about Ken as a host. I used to hate the interview segments— actually FF’d through most of them (sorry, former contestants reading this)— but now they’re a highlight for me.

Same here. Even Alex, rest his soul, irritated me during interviews, always turning them to himself or making fun of the player, like going "Ooooh ..." and stepping backward like the player was diseased if he or she had five cats or something "outrageous" like that. I now enjoy the interviews whereas they used to be my time to do something else during.

[theartandsound]

Yesterday I got these really weird sponsored posts on Facebook that are clickbait and most likely inducements for someone who loves J! to click on them and download malware/viruses due to the pages sponsoring the post as well as the different URLs. These were each at different times of the day. Seems like such a niche hacking attack.

Edited April 29, 2022 by theartandsound

[SoMuchTV]

Everyone is definitely free to wear whatever they prefer, but I was unreasonably pleased to see Mayim wearing flats today. Those heels she’s been wearing have been making my feet hurt!

[PBnJay]

17 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

Everyone is definitely free to wear whatever they prefer, but I was unreasonably pleased to see Mayim wearing flats today.

While I work so hard to not look at her, I did not even notice! But I'm a 100-percent flat-shoe wearer so ... yeay. I guess.

[Bastet]

I usually hate the look of flats with a skirt, but I didn't even notice, so she obviously pulled it off.

[PBnJay]

22 hours ago, Bastet said:

I usually hate the look of flats with a skirt, but I didn't even notice, so she obviously pulled it off.

Never go to a dog show.

[Bastet]

15 minutes ago, PBnJay said:

Never go to a dog show.

Rest assured, I won't.

[3 is enough]

Dog show flats are usually orthepedic shoes, often in gold. 😉 I think Mayim's were fine.

[HyeChaps]

Looks like Mayim's show is renewed:

https://www.spoilertv.com/2022/05/welcome-to-flatch-renewed-for-2nd-season.html

 

[30 Helens]

6 hours ago, HyeChaps said:

Looks like Mayim's show is renewed:

https://www.spoilertv.com/2022/05/welcome-to-flatch-renewed-for-2nd-season.html

 

[shapeshifter]

Since early childhood I have had a "knack" for imitating others' voices. 
Tonight I found myself declaring exactly as Mayim does, "It's a Daily Double!" 
Others have referred to it as a laugh, but when it emerged from my mouth, it was something else. 
Be assured I am trying Very Hard not to let it escape again. 

[Clanstarling]

13 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Since early childhood I have had a "knack" for imitating others' voices. 
Tonight I found myself declaring exactly as Mayim does, "It's a Daily Double!" 
Others have referred to it as a laugh, but when it emerged from my mouth, it was something else. 
Be assured I am trying Very Hard not to let it escape again. 

I have the same thing - but with accents. Unfortunately, it's not deliberate - I just start talking like the people I'm with. I spent one summer as a kid with a thick Scottish accent because of my playmates and it drove my dad crazy. At other times, I have insulted people accidentally. I have to keep an iron grip on it.

[shapeshifter]

4 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

I have the same thing - but with accents. Unfortunately, it's not deliberate - I just start talking like the people I'm with. I spent one summer as a kid with a thick Scottish accent because of my playmates and it drove my dad crazy. At other times, I have insulted people accidentally. I have to keep an iron grip on it.

Same! I would find myself switching accents involuntarily when I was helping students do research in the library. Latinx to Chinese to Eastern European. The students didn't seem to mind; I think it may have made communication easier. But I worried that others would hear and think I was being insulting. 

In the 1970s, when I hitchhiked, I thought it was useful to involuntarily respond with the driver's accent because I think it made the driver perceive me as someone like themselves or their daughter or sister rather than a strange young woman. 

But right now, I am not sure I am going to be able to watch Mayim on Jeopardy! without bursting out at least once per show with a totally involuntary: "It's a Daily Double!"
I'm tempted to record it and post it because it comes out so spot on, but I will spare you all (and myself!) from having to hear it any more than you already do.  

[PBnJay]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

I'm tempted to record it and post it because it comes out so spot on,

Oh, please do post. For so many reasons!

The copying-accent thing reminds me of a Seinfeld episode where Jerry is to be hired to make a commercial for a business, the biggest job he's ever been offered. He meets with the company owner, who has a bum leg. Jerry's leg goes to sleep during the interview, and when he gets up to following the limping owner on a tour of the company, Jerry is limping on his "asleep" leg.

Edited June 17, 2022 by PBnJay

[Prevailing Wind]

At one point, I had watched so many Brit shows, my internal dialogue had an English accent.

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, Prevailing Wind said:

At one point, I had watched so many Brit shows, my internal dialogue had an English accent.

When one of my daughters and I were both reading Jane Austen, we started talking to each other in British accents. Neither of us did it when talking to her sisters. 🙃

 

3 hours ago, PBnJay said:

Oh, please do post. For so many reasons!

Maybe. 😉

Edited June 17, 2022 by shapeshifter

[Welshman in Ca]

4 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

🙃When one of my daughters and I were both reading Jane Austen, we started talking to each other in British accents. Neither of us did it when talking to her sisters.

Sorry but there is no such thing as a British accent.

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, Welshman in Ca said:

Sorry but there is no such thing as a British accent.

I had “18th century English accent” but decided we were probably doing some bastardization of Jane Austen’s speech patterns, so I was going for a generic description.

But my dear brother-in-law is Welsh, and you seem as much as a nice guy as he is, so maybe you might agree that this is the one case in which that descriptor of “British accent” fits?

Edited June 17, 2022 by shapeshifter

[Prevailing Wind]

Moving accents to small talk...

[shapeshifter]

9 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I'm tempted to record it and post it because it comes out so spot on,

8 hours ago, PBnJay said:

Oh, please do post. For so many reasons!

Okay. Recording it took away from the spontaneity, which kind of ruined it, and reaffirmed that I did not miss my calling as a standup comedian outside of the classroom.
Nevertheless, let's see if this works:
shapeshifter impersonating Mayim announcing a "Daily Double!"
Please let me know if you're able to hear it.

And, about Mayim:
Now that her show has wrapped for the season, I do notice improvements in her hosting.
I didn't take notes, but she was definitely interacting better with the contestants and not doing some of the things we complained about (and more than just not saying "Single" Jeopardy!).
We will have to see if she continues to improve in the few remaining weeks of Jeopardy! Season 38.  
And now I need to stop because the wording of this entire post feels like I'm "doing" Mayim.

[30 Helens]

To my infinite sadness, I could not get the @shapeshifter impersonation file to play. 😥

Interesting that you think Mayim’s interactions have gotten better. Lately, she’s started to remind me of Seth Meyers. In general, I enjoy Seth Meyers and his show, but he does one thing that really bugs me. During interviews, a guest will say something and he’ll respond with “that’s fantastic!” or “terrific!” and swiftly pivot to something else in a way that makes his interjection sound completely false, like he wasn’t even listening to what they said and is thinking of his next question before they finish answering the last one.

That’s how Mayim is starting to sound to me. I feel that if I were to interrupt her after one of her “that’s great!” responses and ask her what the contestant just said, she wouldn’t be able to tell me.

[shapeshifter]

16 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

To my infinite sadness, I could not get the @shapeshifter impersonation file to play. 😥

Thank you for the feedback, @30 Helens! 
Please try this version:
shapeshifter impersonating Mayim announcing a "Daily Double!" (mp3 file format)

 

16 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

Interesting that you think Mayim’s interactions have gotten better. Lately, she’s started to remind me of Seth Meyers. In general, I enjoy Seth Meyers and his show, but he does one thing that really bugs me. During interviews, a guest will say something and he’ll respond with “that’s fantastic!” or “terrific!” and swiftly pivot to something else in a way that makes his interjection sound completely false, like he wasn’t even listening to what they said and is thinking of his next question before they finish answering the last one.

That’s how Mayim is starting to sound to me. I feel that if I were to interrupt her after one of her “that’s great!” responses and ask her what the contestant just said, she wouldn’t be able to tell me.

Yes to all of the above, up until maybe 2 days ago when I noticed improvements.
I wonder if after she finished her other show for the season, if she had time for rehearsals, and maybe before that was relying on a voice in her ear for each clue? 

Here's a YouTube video from yesterday's game.
Note how swiftly she answers "yes" and "no," and she encourages the players who were close to the correct answer, like here, at 7:58, when she says:
"So close. You were missing a T. We were looking for . . . ,"
--which sounds to me like something Alex would have said
--like Mayim has had some time now to review his old footage.

But her interview responses still all fell flat. 
However, I've seen Colbert and Seth Myers do the same, especially during the early episodes of their shows.
I do think with practice she could do well, and having a woman hosting a popular, intellectual game is a good thing.

Edited June 18, 2022 by shapeshifter

[HyeChaps]

I have been admiring her outfits. 

[30 Helens]

7 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Thank you for the feedback, @30 Helens! 
Please try this version:
shapeshifter impersonating Mayim announcing a "Daily Double!" (mp3 file format)

Thank you for accommodating me! It turns out, the problem was not your file, but my iPad. I couldn’t play the second one either. So I tried it on my laptop, and it worked perfectly. (As did the first one.) So, sorry to make you post again. What do iPads have against mp3s??

On to my review: Great impersonation! You sound alarmingly like Mayim. Now, to make it perfect, you just need to add a giggle at the end… 😉

[Welshman in Ca]

21 minutes ago, 30 Helens said:

(As did the first one.) So, sorry to make you post again. What do iPads have against mp3s??

They weren't thought of by apple would probably be the short answer.

[PBnJay]

2 hours ago, Welshman in Ca said:

They weren't thought of by apple would probably be the short answer.

Both audio files played on my desktop Mac, no problem. Could be your iPad is missing the software to play audios, @30Helens. I've never had a problem playing videos or audio on any Macs, and I've had them since the beginning of Lisa.

I do agree that a giggle is needed to complete the impression @shapeshifter. Please record a new MORE COMPLETE audio, with giggle before and after. My request, not a command!

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, PBnJay said:

I do agree that a giggle is needed to complete the impression @shapeshifter. Please record a new MORE COMPLETE audio, with giggle before and after. My request, not a command!

It just occurred to me that the giggles and the Lilt of the Daily Double are probably not something she's doing on purpose.

It's probably a nervous reaction to the startling noise and visuals that announce the Daily Doubles.

Will Mayim get used to it and start announcing the Daily Double without sounding like she's on the verge of hysteria? 
Maybe.
Especially once it becomes second nature to her to have to ask for a wager and offer an observation about the current scores and the implications of a wager, as well as the category at hand.
I can see how that might make her nervous.

Edited June 19, 2022 by shapeshifter

[PBnJay]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

Will Mayim get used to it and start announcing the Daily Double without sounding like she's on the verge of hysteria? 

She's nervous? WHAT? You make me laugh! MB, master of sitcom acting, quotes Jon Lovitz as she throws one arm up in the air: "Master Thespian!"

[30 Helens]

5 hours ago, PBnJay said:

She's nervous? WHAT? You make me laugh! MB, master of sitcom acting, quotes Jon Lovitz as she throws one arm up in the air: "Master Thespian!"

Absolutely. Miss Mayim, who has been acting and in the public eye since the tender age of 13, nervous? Highly doubtful.

Her giggles are either part of her naturally kooky personality, or an affectation designed to make her appear good-natured and friendly. My cynical vote goes to the latter. As @PBnJay noted,

[shapeshifter]

18 minutes ago, 30 Helens said:

Her giggles are either part of her naturally kooky personality, or an affectation designed to make her appear good-natured and friendly.

I think the giggling is probably both performative and a nervous tick, but also, for the DDs, having to:

• ask for a wager  
• assess whether to offer an observation about the current scores and the implications of a wager 
• decide whether to note the category at hand in relation to the contestant

is not acting, and so might terrify her a bit. 

[Clanstarling]

5 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I think the giggling is probably both performative and a nervous tick, but also, for the DDs, having to:

• ask for a wager  
• assess whether to offer an observation about the current scores and the implications of a wager 
• decide whether to note the category at hand in relation to the contestant

is not acting, and so might terrify her a bit. 

And even in the acting world, there's a difference between improv and scripted scenes. I'm not as kind about MB as you are, but I think you make a good point.

Having done both scripted and improv acting - with scripts I'm immersed and fully engaged, with improv, I'm gibbering fool.

Edited June 19, 2022 by Clanstarling

[shapeshifter]

13 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

And even in the acting world, there's a difference between improv and scripted scenes. I'm not as kind about MB as you are, but I think you make a good point.

Having done both scripted and improv acting - with scripts I'm immersed and fully engaged, with improv, I'm gibbering fool.

With the DDs, the "improv" part requires a quick, mathematical mind, which not every neuroscientist apparently has. (See, I can be just as catty.😼)

I do think Ken is understandably better at:

5 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

for the DDs, having to:

• ask for a wager  
• assess whether to offer an observation about the current scores and the implications of a wager 
• decide whether to note the category at hand in relation to the contestant

and he probably always will be better at the DDs than Mayim. IDK.
I initially really wanted the new full-time host to not be another straight, white, Christian (sort of?) guy, but maybe it would be good to have a straight white guy who's also a nice guy, to be a good role model in these times. I know Ken has had a couple of uncool gaffes in his Twitter past, but he's never defended them as far as I know --meaning Ken does not seem to be a narcissist, which I would think a GOAT Jeopardy! champion could tend towards.

And then Mayim can do the evening shows like she was hired to do.
Or whatever.