Jeopardy! Season 38 (2021-2022)

[PaulaO]

I didn’t even understand FJ! let alone get PaaE, but the ELP interpretation rocks (see what I did there…)

[Trey]

14 hours ago, Driad said:

Pictures at an Exhibition (original piano version)

It's one of my favorites (to listen to; I don't play it).

Thanks for the link, @Driad.  I enjoyed listening to it but I'm pretty sure I've never heard it before and definitely haven't heard of it.

I don't know a lot about classical music but listen to it every once in a while and hope to get somewhat educated.

I did get the ts's of couplet and troy, possibly more but overall it was not a good game (or week) for me.

[Packerbrewerbadger]

 

[MrAtoz]

I had no idea ELP had done a version of Pictures at an Exhibition; that's kind of cool.  But then, I never really followed them much, apart from occasionally hearing "Lucky Man" on the oldies radio stations.

I got FJ pretty easily.  I've always been interested in The Mighty Five, of whom Mussorgsky was a member, ever since I first learned about them in college.

[PBnJay]

I really got a laugh out of none of the players knowing who Hannah Brown is.

[Katy M]

17 minutes ago, PBnJay said:

I really got a laugh out of none of the players knowing who Hannah Brown is.

I didn't know either.

[UsernameFatigue]

On 4/28/2022 at 3:48 PM, deemac said:

Mattea reminds me of Mayim.  I'm not sure when Mayim is back but I can't imagine even considering watching the show with both on.

 

They have already been on at the same time. Mayim was hosting during Mattea's first week. 

[ams1001]

20 minutes ago, PBnJay said:

I really got a laugh out of none of the players knowing who Hannah Brown is.

I was quite okay with not knowing that one... (though the name was vaguely familiar; she was on Dancing with the Stars, and won, which tells you how much I retain after the season is over. Hell, I've usually forgotten half the people who were voted off early in the season by the end of it. They have them come back for the finale and I'm like, "Oh, yeah, they were on this show...").

[Mystery Author]

Quote

I do watch for the game, but when a contestant (or host) is frequently adding extra commentary that doesn't add anything useful or entertaining, or just being slow and taking forever to pick the next clue or whatever, it really distracts me from the game.

Okay, I get that, honest. But I think, for the most part, it's due to nerves (yes, even Mattea).

If I were lucky enough to be on the show, I know for a fact I'd blather. Writing requires a loner's temperament, a high tolerance for silence, and an unhealthy preference for the company of people who are imaginary or dead. So when I'm released from my office and my computer, I'm fairly certain I bore the living daylights out of anybody who stands close to me.

I release some of that pent-up preference for imaginary or dead people by doing theatre, 

[PaulaO]

Who is Hannah Brown?  I’ve never heard of her.

Never mind.  I Googled her.  The Bachelor.  What a stupid show.

Edited April 30, 2022 by PaulaO

[ams1001]

3 minutes ago, PaulaO said:

Who is Hannah Brown?  I’ve never heard of her.

She was on The Bachelorette (and wikipedia tells me she was in the top 7 on The Bachelor before that). Then she won season 28 of Dancing with the Stars.

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, PBnJay said:

I really got a laugh out of none of the players knowing who Hannah Brown is.

That was my only miss in Entertainment Awards, and I was perfectly fine with not knowing anything about The Bachelorette other than it exists keeping me from running a category.  If that had been the only thing keeping me from finally having my elusive perfect game, I'd have been perfectly fine with that.

[deemac]

22 hours ago, UsernameFatigue said:

They have already been on at the same time. Mayim was hosting during Mattea's first week. 

I missed it since I don't watch Mayim.  Actually what bugs me most about Mattea is how when she's not talking her mouth just hangs partially open!

[TakomaSnark]

On 4/27/2022 at 8:01 PM, catrice2 said:

I am also tired of contestants leaving the show and wanting to be celebrities.  Really? Amy needs a management company? I never listen to to most of the interviews in the middle because I don't care about their lives. I would like it to be the same once they lose. I mean, I loved people on Sale of the Century, etc. but had no interest in what happened to them after they left the show! 

 

👏🏻👏🏻 Hear, hear. It really seems that the Jeopardy! stage has finally been infiltrated by aspiring 'reality show personality types.' I feel like Matt was the last of a bygone style of contestant - as far as I know, he's returned to school and the chatter for him to become a Chase-r is from J! forums, not Matt himself.

Meanwhile, Amy has been doing everything possible to become a full-time celebrity, even starting during her run. I was very ready for her to be gone. During and since her reign, there's been a slew of one-and-dones (like Cory Anotano) who seemed more interested in promoting themselves than excelling at the competition. And don't get me wrong: I know it's no small feat to make it to a podium. Yet I can only assume the show is now casting for chatting Cathys and/or encouraging this new type of 'personality' - otherwise it would be addressed/discouraged in game by producers and/or left on the editing room floor.

Don't get me started on last Tuesday's (I think) show, where all three players seemed like they were trying to get the attention of a single, powerful agent in the audience during their improv night.

If I wanted to watch Let's Make A Deal, I would. Alex must be rolling in his grave at these antics. 

Edited May 2, 2022 by TakomaSnark
Clarity

[30 Helens]

28 minutes ago, TakomaSnark said:

It really seems that the Jeopardy! stage has finally been infiltrated by aspiring 'reality show personality types.' 

I don’t know. You may be right; I don’t have any particular insight into contestants’ thought processes. But I don’t see it.

I don’t think Amy came on to the show with any kind of reality/ game show career plan. But she became wildly popular, so I don’t blame her for trying to capitalize on that. The fact that she is in a rare position to promote trans acceptance may also be a motivating factor in pursuing the limelight— I don’t know, but I certainly wouldn’t fault her if that’s the case.

Similarly, I don’t think Mattea’s “antics” are a calculated effort to make her more popular. (If so, it’s largely a fail, from what I read!) I think it’s just who she is, for better or worse. I agree that once upon a time, the show would have told her to cut the extraneous comments and be less… provocative (? not sure if that’s the right word).

If anyone is to blame for a changing J! landscape, it’s production. The commercials I see lately promote upcoming episodes like they’re some kind of cage match. (“Can Mattea hold on? Will she be dethroned? Yesterday’s episode was a nail-biter!”) They want to improve ratings and they want to appeal to a younger audience. This is understandable. 

I’m just guessing, but I think they’re probably encouraging players to show more personality so they will connect with more viewers. But that doesn’t necessarily corrupt the game. I still think people who audition for Jeopardy! do so because they love the game and want to challenge themselves. And it’s not like any Kardashian wannabe can just show up and get a podium. You still have to be really, really smart. 

Which will keep out most of the riffraff, IMO. 😉

[kathyk24]

3 minutes ago, 30 Helens said:

I don’t know. You may be right; I don’t have any particular insight into contestants’ thought processes. But I don’t see it.

I don’t think Amy came on to the show with any kind of reality/ game show career plan. But she became wildly popular, so I don’t blame her for trying to capitalize on that. The fact that she is in a rare position to promote trans acceptance may also be a motivating factor in pursuing the limelight— I don’t know, but I certainly wouldn’t fault her if that’s the case.

Similarly, I don’t think Mattea’s “antics” are a calculated effort to make her more popular. (If so, it’s largely a fail, from what I read!) I think it’s just who she is, for better or worse. I agree that once upon a time, the show would have told her to cut the extraneous comments and be less… provocative (? not sure if that’s the right word).

If anyone is to blame for a changing J! landscape, it’s production. The commercials I see lately promote upcoming episodes like they’re some kind of cage match. (“Can Mattea hold on? Will she be dethroned? Yesterday’s episode was a nail-biter!”) They want to improve ratings and they want to appeal to a younger audience. This is understandable. 

I’m just guessing, but I think they’re probably encouraging players to show more personality so they will connect with more viewers. But that doesn’t necessarily corrupt the game. I still think people who audition for Jeopardy! do so because they love the game and want to challenge themselves. And it’s not like any Kardashian wannabe can just show up and get a podium. You still have to be really, really smart. 

Which will keep out most of the riffraff, IMO. 😉

Amy is following in Ken's footsteps. He gave up a regular job to write a book and become a celebrity. Every long running champion gets the ads that Mattea is getting right now. You can tell the game is a runaway if there is no preview.

[shapeshifter]

7 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

I don’t know. You may be right; I don’t have any particular insight into contestants’ thought processes. But I don’t see it.

I don’t think Amy came on to the show with any kind of reality/ game show career plan. But she became wildly popular, so I don’t blame her for trying to capitalize on that. The fact that she is in a rare position to promote trans acceptance may also be a motivating factor in pursuing the limelight— I don’t know, but I certainly wouldn’t fault her if that’s the case.

Similarly, I don’t think Mattea’s “antics” are a calculated effort to make her more popular. (If so, it’s largely a fail, from what I read!) I think it’s just who she is, for better or worse. I agree that once upon a time, the show would have told her to cut the extraneous comments and be less… provocative (? not sure if that’s the right word).

If anyone is to blame for a changing J! landscape, it’s production. The commercials I see lately promote upcoming episodes like they’re some kind of cage match. (“Can Mattea hold on? Will she be dethroned? Yesterday’s episode was a nail-biter!”) They want to improve ratings and they want to appeal to a younger audience. This is understandable. 

I’m just guessing, but I think they’re probably encouraging players to show more personality so they will connect with more viewers. But that doesn’t necessarily corrupt the game. I still think people who audition for Jeopardy! do so because they love the game and want to challenge themselves. And it’s not like any Kardashian wannabe can just show up and get a podium. You still have to be really, really smart. 

Which will keep out most of the riffraff, IMO. 😉

👆Well and thoughtfully stated, @30 Helens.

Also, being "on stage" is not a new thing for Amy:

Quote

. . . During a recent episode of Jeopardy!, Schneider discussed her love of acting, in particular the works of Shakespeare.

“I have been [acting] from childhood up through about six or seven years ago,” Schneider told host Ken Jennings.

“I got into Shakespeare as a kid. So, out of his plays, I’ve done 12 of them at one time or another, and there have been some repeats in there as well.”
. . .
https://www.metroweekly.com/2021/12/jeopardy-champ-amy-schneider-reveals-how-shakespeare-helped-her-come-out-as-transgender/

Many have day jobs --even careers-- that we would happily give up if we could support ourselves doing what we are passionate about. If Amy (or other Jeopardy! champs, including Ken) can parlay their success into a more satisfying life's work, I am happy for them.
 

[possibilities]

I actually love that the contestant pool has gotten less monotonous. I haven't checked the stats on this, but it seems to me that there are a lot more women, openly LGBTQ people, and fewer White Dudes dominating the podium. 

[proserpina65]

On 4/28/2022 at 11:08 PM, DrSpaceman73 said:

Thought for sure fj was roots. 

Oh well. 

Roots wasn't the name of a character.  So I knew it wasn't the answer.  I couldn't come up with one, though.

Pictures at an Exhibition, on the other hand, was an instaget for me.  I love The Great Gate of Kiev section.  And Mussorky in general.

On 4/29/2022 at 8:23 AM, Shermie said:

I still haven’t heard any good reasons why so many here dislike Mayim. She’s not as at ease as Ken, and some don’t like her opinions on vaccines (which are irrelevant and she likely has to be vaxxed to host, so ?).

Sometimes I wonder if there’s some innate sexism going on, since there’s more dislike of female contestants and of the female host. That’s common everywhere, even if people don’t realize it; women are judged more harshly, especially for external reasons (looks, gestures, voice). Who knows?

I've explained why I don't care for Mayim as host.  My reasons are perfectly valid FOR ME.  It doesn't have to be about sexism, and others do not have to agree with me.  My liking or not liking a particular host doesn't affect anyone but me.  Just as my deciding to stop watching when a contestant annoys me badly enough doesn't affect other commenters' ability to watch and enjoy the show.  Whereas my complaining about host or contestant non-stop would annoy other people so I try not to do it.

On 4/29/2022 at 4:28 PM, 30 Helens said:

I’ve seen several comments recently about Mayim being an anti-vaxxer. She did say years ago that she had chosen not to vaccinate her kids at that time. She declined to give the reason why, stating it was personal (fair enough), but insinuated there were reasons to delay. She did eventually get them vaccinated, is vaccinated herself, and has said numerous times that she believes vaccines are essential. So while there are many valid reasons to dislike Mayim (want a list?), I don’t think being anti-vax is one of them.

I can’t believe I just defended Mayim. I feel icky.

She is still a proponent of a delayed vaccination plan, which, while not the same thing as being an anti-vaxxer, is still disturbing to me, and thus a perfectly valid reason to not like her.  But this isn't the forum for vaccination discussions, so I'll leave it there.

 

On 4/29/2022 at 4:49 PM, Shermie said:

Mattea finally bid large last night, for good reason. I’m impressed that people seem to know so much about ballet and opera (these do turn up on the show more often), given that they’re not exactly mass market entertainment.

I love opera and like ballet.  I'd have killed to have had those categories on my game.  (Although the champ was very knowledgeable about classical music so maybe it wouldn't have helped me.)  And hated that I got a political category.  We all have our own areas of interest; it doesn't really matter whether or not they're mass market.

 

[proserpina65]

On 4/30/2022 at 3:51 PM, PBnJay said:

I really got a laugh out of none of the players knowing who Hannah Brown is.

I hadn't, and still don't, have a clue who she is.

 

[zapper]

On 4/30/2022 at 2:35 PM, ams1001 said:

She was on The Bachelorette (and wikipedia tells me she was in the top 7 on The Bachelor before that). Then she won season 28 of Dancing with the Stars.

knowing this, I am still - if not more - comfortable in not knowing who she is. But that's just me.

[853fisher]

I'll be very excited to see Danielle play on Friday.  She and her now-husband have been good friends of mine since college, when I think we first met because she was president of the a cappella group I joined.  She's a very curious "lifelong learner" type, and formidable in board games, so I think she has potential to do very well.  I won't be able to root for Mattea after Thursday, if she is still playing, but I wouldn't put it past Danielle to become the next big champion.  As I said to her when I first heard the good news recently, retroactive good luck!

[proserpina65]

19 minutes ago, 853fisher said:

I'll be very excited to see Danielle play on Friday.  She and her now-husband have been good friends of mine since college, when I think we first met because she was president of the a cappella group I joined.  She's a very curious "lifelong learner" type, and formidable in board games, so I think she has potential to do very well.  I won't be able to root for Mattea after Thursday, if she is still playing, but I wouldn't put it past Danielle to become the next big champion.  As I said to her when I first heard the good news recently, retroactive good luck!

It's always cool when you know one of the contestants.  I don't know him, but I live about an hour away from Lewes and I have to confess I'm intrigued by Adam the ferryboat deckhand who's on tonight's game.

[30 Helens]

22 minutes ago, 853fisher said:

I'll be very excited to see Danielle play on Friday.  She and her now-husband have been good friends of mine since college, when I think we first met because she was president of the a cappella group I joined.  She's a very curious "lifelong learner" type, and formidable in board games, so I think she has potential to do very well.  

Aw… sorry I won’t be able to see her play! It’s always fun to root for someone I “know”, even twice-removed. But I will be on vacation and TV-free for a week. Best of luck to your friend! Hope to see her still playing when I return! 🙂

[ams1001]

Gah, I did terrible tonight. Ran Reptiles and "A.T." Too many football clues (I got zero). Little annoyed I missed one in Tea Time, since I drink a lot of the stuff. Also annoyed I couldn't come up with Fugitive Slave Acts in time since I just read Homegoing in which it is mentioned. Got the TSes of turtle, gila monster, and Elian Gonzalez. No FJ; I thought of Hamlet and Macbeth. Hey, they both have a king who gets killed; not terrible guesses, right?

[dgpolo]

17 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

No FJ; I thought of Hamlet and Macbeth. Hey, they both have a king who gets killed; not terrible guesses, right?

I did get FJ because of the assassination.

I was surprised that none of them recognized the Gila Monster.

Especially surprised at how much US history Mattea knows. More than me for sure and I know almost nothing about Canadian history.

[Browncoat]

I waffled between Hamlet and Macbeth for FJ, finally settling on Macbeth.  The correct response never occurred to me.  I am off to a bad start for this week!

But I did get the TS of Village of the Damned, cheating, the Gipper (assuming that was enough and I didn't need his actual name), Don Johnson & Philip Michael Thomas, turtle, Gila monster, Elian Gonzalez, and pekoe.  And I don't even drink tea.

[Katy M]

I actually got FJ right. I didn't have much hope when I saw the category and after my assured response of the 1812 Overture last week, I was sure Julius Caesar was too easy and it had to be something else.

I got the missed clues of Gip, turtle, gila monster, Gonzalez (but only with the prompting of the first name), Saudi Arabia (total guess), and aqueuous (which I admit I have no idea how to spell).

I got the netire cateogry of next right.

I had a fairly good night. Definitely better than I've been doing.

[catrice2]

Ah ,my husband who knows me so well, watched with me tonight. I had never said a word, but at the end he said , "oh my god."  His take is that it is the mix of youthful exuberance along with the "old woman" mannerisms that does it.  He said, and I agree, she is the person that you can just see, saying "old pshaw," or something like that.  

[secnarf]

1 hour ago, dgpolo said:

Especially surprised at how much US history Mattea knows. More than me for sure and I know almost nothing about Canadian history.

I continue to be impressed by this. Especially tonight when she got the state capitals question correct - that was impressive. She must have paid particular attention to studying these areas, but still impressive given that she hasn't grown up learning or knowing these things.

Total side note but in the daily update segment on Mattea on CBC News that I watched just as I was typing this, they said she will be back tomorrow to hopefully get "one step closer to her dream of buying a house in Toronto" 😂 Even with the amount she has currently won, tax free, her Jeopardy earnings are nowhere near enough to buy a house anywhere in the GTA.

[kathyk24]

I decided to take the Jeopardy online test. I missed some questions and timed out before I finished some answers. You have to know a little bit about many subjects. I'm not a fast typist so I think that hurt my score.

[Prevailing Wind]

Certain that FJ referred to Macbeth, I giggled at the thought of writing "What is the Scottish Play?"

I wasn't paying too close attention - I was cuddling with both cats - but I've taken the ferry from Cape May, NJ to Lewes, DE and it was really cool. I envy him his job.

[Bastet]

I found the Boston Tea Party clue quite overvalued for a DD in DJ; tea was spotted by the category (if it's not in the clue, it's in the response).

So close tonight!  I got everything in the first round other than apple turnover and Philip Michael Thomas (since "Don Johnson and that other guy" would not have been accepted).  In DJ, I did not do well in Famous Names, missing three.  But other than that, I only missed one - aqueous.

I initially read FJ far too quickly, and was trying to remember the name of the play Lincoln was attending when he was shot.  Then when I heard Ken say Shakespeare, I realized, wait, re-read -- oh, okay, a Shakespeare play about an assassination plot.  So, after a false start, I got it to finish off a great game.

[Miss Anne Thrope]

Final Jeopardy! was an instaget because of "Sic semper tyrannis."  It being Latin, I went right to Julius Caesar.  

Loved the "Okay, football for $200" said with some degree of.... trepidation?  Resignation?  

Edited May 3, 2022 by Miss Anne Thrope

[bankerchick]

5 minutes ago, Miss Anne Thrope said:

Loved the "Okay, football for $200" said with some degree of.... trepidation?  Resignation?  

Yet, almost the entire board was still available.  Mattea could have gone to any of the other catetories if she wasn't comfortable with that one.  It just seemed like another opportunity for her to be annoying.

[shapeshifter]

11 hours ago, bankerchick said:

Yet, almost the entire board was still available.  Mattea could have gone to any of the other catetories if she wasn't comfortable with that one.  It just seemed like another opportunity for her to be annoying.

She may have been influenced by Amy's widely linked interview in which she said she likes to get the hardest category out of the way first. Regardless, Mattea is not the first champ to use that strategy this year. But I gather it was her expression of lament that you found offensive, not the strategy? 

Is Julius Caesar the play with "Et tu, Brutus?" Because that's the one I was trying vainly to think of. I knew Hamlet wasn't quite right.

Weirdly, I couldn't think of Elian Gonzalez' last name until Becky said the wrong one. I wonder if that typically happens to contestants that give the correct response after another player has spoken the wrong one?

Nobody [k]new Pekoe tea? I think there was a frequently aired commercial for it back when there were only 3 TV stations, and that's why I know it. 

So. Who are we blaming for the 3 clues left on the board in Double?

 

Edited May 3, 2022 by shapeshifter
typo

[UsernameFatigue]

2 hours ago, secnarf said:

 

Total side note but in the daily update segment on Mattea on CBC News that I watched just as I was typing this, they said she will be back tomorrow to hopefully get "one step closer to her dream of buying a house in Toronto" 😂 Even with the amount she has currently won, tax free, her Jeopardy earnings are nowhere near enough to buy a house anywhere in the GTA.

I heard a recent interview where Mattea referenced buying a home. However she was referring to winning enough money to make a down payment, not buy a house outright. She said that it would have taken her years to save enough money for a down payment otherwise. I am not sure if all game show winnings are automatically taxed at 50 % in the U.S. but even if that were the case, she would currently walk away with $238,492 U.S. or $306,387 in Canadian funds. A pretty healthy down payment even in the GTA where I think the average home price is around 1.3 million currently. 

In another interview her father mentioned that she has plans to return to school to earn her law degree in the fall. Depending on where she goes (assuming that is still her plan) she may chose a city where house prices are somewhat lower. In any case I hope she sticks around long enough to be able to buy a house outright. 😀

[Cotypubby]

Hmm I thought FJ was so incredibly easy and was shocked only Mattea got it. Why else would a play be “fittingly” performed by John Wilkes Booth unless it involved an assassination and what Shakespeare play is known for an assassination? Took me maybe 5 seconds to say the correct answer.

[secnarf]

5 minutes ago, UsernameFatigue said:

I heard a recent interview where Mattea referenced buying a home. However she was referring to winning enough money to make a down payment, not buy a house outright. She said that it would have taken her years to save enough money for a down payment otherwise. I am not sure if all game show winnings are automatically taxed at 50 % in the U.S. but even if that were the case, she would currently walk away with $238,492 U.S. or $306,387 in Canadian funds. A pretty healthy down payment even in the GTA where I think the average home price is around 1.3 million currently. 

In another interview her father mentioned that she has plans to return to school to earn her law degree in the fall. Depending on where she goes (assuming that is still her plan) she may chose a city where house prices are somewhat lower. In any case I hope she sticks around long enough to be able to buy a house outright. 😀

Yep, $300000 CAD sounds like a nice down payment. Except unless she is making a killing being a tutor, there is no way she will qualify for a $1mil mortgage to make up the average home price. Maybe if she is buying with a partner who makes upwards of 6 figures, and if she makes close to that, they could buy a slightly below average but still decent house. 
 

As a single person who would love to buy a house in the GTA, I have crunched all the numbers. It is exceedingly depressing. 
 

Regarding FJ today - I also thought of the play that Lincoln was at when he was shot. I couldn’t actually remember what this play was, so for all I knew it could have been a Shakespeare play. Just not in my wheelhouse. 

[ams1001]

32 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Nobody new Pekoe tea? I think there was a frequently aired commercial for it back when there were only 3 TV stations, and that's why I know it. 

That's the one I didn't get! Then I said, "duh!"

[dcalley]

On 4/27/2022 at 8:24 AM, ams1001 said:

He also said the fragrance in the makeup or whatever was triggering his migraines and the room was spinning and even mentioned blacking out

That's awful! I get headaches sometimes from scents and am glad there are so many fragrance-free products available now.

 

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

She may have been influenced by Amy's widely linked interview in which she said she likes to get the hardest category out of the way first. Regardless, Mattea is not the first champ to use that strategy this year.  

I think it's a good strategy to try to get your weakest categories out of the way early. The riskier alternative is to hope that time will run out before you get to them. Speaking of...

Quote

So. Who are we blaming for the 3 clues left on the board in Double?

The Miami news team in the first round!

[InternetToughGuy]

9 hours ago, dgpolo said:

I did get FJ because of the assassination.

I was surprised that none of them recognized the Gila Monster.

Especially surprised at how much US history Mattea knows. More than me for sure and I know almost nothing about Canadian history.

No one in Canada knows Canadian history because we don't have any - probably 50% of us think Tim Horton is the Prime Minister

 

8 hours ago, secnarf said:

Total side note but in the daily update segment on Mattea on CBC News that I watched just as I was typing this, they said she will be back tomorrow to hopefully get "one step closer to her dream of buying a house in Toronto" 😂 Even with the amount she has currently won, tax free, her Jeopardy earnings are nowhere near enough to buy a house anywhere in the GTA.

For real, literal detached garages sell for over $700,000 (no joke). It's a collective psychosis.

[GreekGeek]

7 hours ago, bankerchick said:

Yet, almost the entire board was still available.  Mattea could have gone to any of the other catetories if she wasn't comfortable with that one.  It just seemed like another opportunity for her to be annoying.

I was amused by her comment rather than annoyed--I thought it was good strategy to think "Let's get this over with while the stakes are lower". I didn't know any of those questions either apart from Don Shula and a guess on "cheating."

I remembered Elian Gonzalez because I was living in Tampa at the time. And, like others I couldn't remember the full name of Philip Michael Thomas. I thought, "Philip....Baker Hall? No..."

7 hours ago, Miss Anne Thrope said:

Final Jeopardy! was an instaget because of "Sic semper tyrannis."  It being Latin, I went right to Julius Caesar.   

It's even more fitting when you consider that one of the Booth brothers was Junius Brutus Booth Jr.!

Edited May 3, 2022 by GreekGeek

[bad things are bad]

12 hours ago, ams1001 said:

Ran Reptiles and "A.T."

I precalled Automatic Transmission when AT came up as a category. AT/MT were commonly used abbreviations at my last couple of jobs, given space constraints in our database fields

Not a lot of need for MT anymore,  though  :(

 

[DrSpaceman73]

7 hours ago, Cotypubby said:

Hmm I thought FJ was so incredibly easy and was shocked only Mattea got it. Why else would a play be “fittingly” performed by John Wilkes Booth unless it involved an assassination and what Shakespeare play is known for an assassination? Took me maybe 5 seconds to say the correct answer.

There are assassinations in many Shakespeare plays.  It's one of his go to topics.  

Granted Caesar makes the most sense but I wouldn't have been surprised by hamlet or Macbeth either. 

Thanks captain Picard!  'Tea, earl Grey, hot'

Not every daily double is an 'interesting situation'.  She can stop saying it every time. 

I don't think it really makes a difference in the round when categories are picked despite the supposed strategy mentioned. If they are all cleared they are always worth the same amount. 

My only caveat is I think you save categories like the Miami one where guests read clues for last because, I get the impression they are like ads they have to do so save them for last you'll definitely clear the board. Just a theory but still think it's true. 

[PaulaO]

I have developed a new watching strategy.  I mute when Mattea hits a DD.  I said  Macbeth no Hamlet no Macbeth for FJ! then ran out of time.  

[MrAtoz]

9 hours ago, UsernameFatigue said:

I am not sure if all game show winnings are automatically taxed at 50 % in the U.S.

They are not.  They are taxed the same way any other income is taxed.

You often hear people say "Half of those winnings will go to taxes," but that's not really true.  It's just something people say.  There's not a special tax on game show winnings.  They're treated as ordinary income.  What may sometimes be complicated is that if you win a lot, it can bump you into a higher tax bracket for that year, and you may need to pay estimated taxes throughout the year, rather than waiting to file your taxes in April.  Consult a tax professional.  😀

In my case, if I recall correctly I think I ended up paying about 23% of my winnings in taxes, between federal, California, and my own state.

[illdoc]

9 hours ago, secnarf said:

Regarding FJ today - I also thought of the play that Lincoln was at when he was shot. I couldn’t actually remember what this play was, so for all I knew it could have been a Shakespeare play. Just not in my wheelhouse. 

"Our American Cousin", in case it comes up.

[DrSpaceman73]

12 minutes ago, MrAtoz said:

They are not.  They are taxed the same way any other income is taxed.

You often hear people say "Half of those winnings will go to taxes," but that's not really true.  It's just something people say.  There's not a special tax on game show winnings.  They're treated as ordinary income.  What may sometimes be complicated is that if you win a lot, it can bump you into a higher tax bracket for that year, and you may need to pay estimated taxes throughout the year, rather than waiting to file your taxes in April.  Consult a tax professional.  😀

In my case, if I recall correctly I think I ended up paying about 23% of my winnings in taxes, between federal, California, and my own state.

Yes it's just like regular income. 

If you win big like mattea I assume she is in the highest tax bracket in Canada whatever that may be. Federal in the US it's like 35 -40%  I think it's 39 or 36, they've changed it a few times with different prsidents. 

1 minute ago, illdoc said:

"Our American Cousin", in case it comes up.

Yes that's what I thought they were asking too, I knew that one. 

Then it was.....oh, dang it, which murderous Shakespeare play?

[Bliss]

I believe Mattea's "windfall" will be tax free in Canada. [The US may withhold an amount which she'll be able to get back after making an application (same as someone winning a jackpot in Las Vegas).]