Jeopardy! Season 38 (2021-2022)

[crashdown]

On 9/30/2021 at 11:30 PM, saber5055 said:

On 9/30/2021 at 9:32 PM, shapeshifter said:

And I recognized the Doberman, because I’m old, and they were more common in the 1960s.

LOL. Tell that to all my friends who show Dobermans, and the Doberman club that I work for. Dobes are the 18th most popular AKC breed (out of 197) in the United States. So ... nope.

Actually, the sentiment expressed is correct, but the OP was simply off by a few years. Dobes were the number three breed in the 1970s, possibly reflective of the popular 1972 movie “The Doberman Gang.” So . . . yup!

[shapeshifter]

19 hours ago, bad things are bad said:

So if Matt has a shot at Ken's record, I believe it would happen while Ken's hosting 

On Twitter (at least) there are jokes about KJ reading the clues weirdly on purpose to confuse Matt.

While I’m sure KJ would not consciously try to sabotage Matt, even a tiny verbal stumble on Ken’s part before a loss by Matt is sure to cause a Jeopardy! kerfuffle to erupt that might make the MR debacle look like a game of patty cake in comparison. The ethics questions alone would cast a pall over the game.

I can’t be the only Cassandra/Chicken Little type whose dreading this eventuality.

Help Wanted: Acting Jeopardy! host who is not Ken Jennings to fill in for Mayim as her schedule requires and while Matt approaches KJ's record. Stat.

Edited October 3, 2021 by shapeshifter

[Clanstarling]

20 hours ago, bad things are bad said:

So if Matt has a shot at Ken's record, I believe it would happen while Ken's hosting 

 

20 hours ago, saber5055 said:

Continuing earthquake talk, I've felt several in Illinois from the New Madrid fault that runs through four states along the Mississippi valley. Largest was a 5.4 which shook the house and made me wonder why buses were running at night until the news explained it the next day. Like @Prevailing Wind, the swaying made me feel woozy and dizzy. A second one some years later had the same effect, it made me dizzy and unbalanced. I wonder why that is. I guess if I lived in California, those earthquakes would make me fall flat on my face. An Illinois earthquake that resulted in damage happened some years ago. So, no place is really safe. While Illinois won't crack off into the ocean, it could sink into the Mississippi. No resulting fires yet though.

I watched a Ken-host episode early this a.m. and while I was rooting for him as perm host at the beginning, after getting used to Mayim I didn't like him as much. Odd how getting used to something can change one's mind since I didn't care for Mayim during her guest-host stint. Now I like her better than Ken.

Go figure.

As a one who's ridden out many earthquakes (fortunately not the really devastating ones, for which I was conveniently out of state on vacation, but a couple of pretty good sized ones) - you learn to surf it out. 

I think it would be awesome to have Matt beat Ken's record while he's hosting. I guess I have confidence enough that Ken would find the coincidence amusing, even if it stings a bit.

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, Clanstarling said:

I think it would be awesome to have Matt beat Ken's record while he's hosting. I guess I have confidence enough that Ken would find the coincidence amusing, even if it stings a bit.

Yes. But if Matt does not outlast Ken's record number of games (approximately twice Matt's current accomplishment) my concern is that social media will explode with cries of suspicion, regardless of how loud and clear Matt is about Ken's fairness and skill as a host. Matt fans will accuse the show of having had a conflict of interest by allowing the very person who Matt was seeking to dethrone to be running the game that Matt "lost." 😢

 

ETA: Sorry if I'm not being clear. I bet @Bastet could explain it much more succinctly. 

Edited October 3, 2021 by shapeshifter

[Trey]

9 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

ETA: Sorry if I'm not being clear. I bet @Bastet could explain it much more succinctly. 

I think you have explained it very clearly.

I think that someone other than Ken should be hosting when Matt is getting close to Ken's record, just for the appearance of fairness.  I would not suspect Ken or the show of doing anything untoward but they should remove the possibility altogether.

eta: although, if Ken is the scheduled host, removing him would look like they suspect him of cheating.  Best just leave it as is.

Edited October 3, 2021 by Trey

[shapeshifter]

28 minutes ago, Trey said:

eta: although, if Ken is the scheduled host, removing him would look like they suspect him of cheating.  Best just leave it as is.

So: A "damned if you do; damned if you don't" scenario? Yeah. ☹️
Maybe Ken will foresee this (since he's obviously skilled at wagering/predicting) and arrange with Mayim to have their shooting schedules avoid this scenario if it starts getting close. 🤞
I'm sure Mayim would want to avoid a social media dust up too.

Edited October 3, 2021 by shapeshifter

[saber5055]

Whatever happens, SM will be full of BS because trolls are gonna troll. Just take a look around. Trolls ranking on everything everywhere. I for one am not going to worry about it. It's not like Ken loses his house and kids if Matt gets 75 wins. He's doing fine.

[Clanstarling]

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Yes. But if Matt does not outlast Ken's record number of games (approximately twice Matt's current accomplishment) my concern is that social media will explode with cries of suspicion, regardless of how loud and clear Matt is about Ken's fairness and skill as a host. Matt fans will accuse the show of having had a conflict of interest by allowing the very person who Matt was seeking to dethrone to be running the game that Matt "lost." 😢

 

ETA: Sorry if I'm not being clear. I bet @Bastet could explain it much more succinctly. 

Oh no, you were clear. For once in my life I'm pie eyed and optimistic. Of course, I don't really read the social media trolls (though I have started following Matt and he's a hoot).  Hmm, do I sound really old given my word choice? Oh well, the impression wouldn't be wrong.

32 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

So: A "damned if you do; damned if you don't" scenario? Yeah. ☹️

It is.

7 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

Whatever happens, SM will be full of BS because trolls are gonna troll. Just take a look around. Trolls ranking on everything everywhere. I for one am not going to worry about it. It's not like Ken loses his house and kids if Matt gets 75 wins. He's doing fine.

That's very true.

Going out of the way to anticipate a negative reaction to the possible outcome of a normal and innocent course of action is bowing down to the trolls. They don't deserve to win.

Even with statistically sound predictions, there is no certain way of telling if or when Matt might reach that landmark.

I do recognize all the valid points in this discussion. They are very sound arguments against Ken being there. Even so, I still think it would be kind of cool for Ken to be there when/if Matt surpasses his totals. Because f**k the a******s. (oh, got a little hot under the collar - directed totally at the trolls, of course)

[Bliss]

1 hour ago, Clanstarling said:

Oh no, you were clear. For once in my life I'm pie eyed and optimistic. Of course, I don't really read the social media trolls (though I have started following Matt and he's a hoot).  Hmm, do I sound really old given my word choice? Oh well, the impression wouldn't be wrong.

It is.

That's very true.

Going out of the way to anticipate a negative reaction to the possible outcome of a normal and innocent course of action is bowing down to the trolls. They don't deserve to win.

Even with statistically sound predictions, there is no certain way of telling if or when Matt might reach that landmark.

I do recognize all the valid points in this discussion. They are very sound arguments against Ken being there. Even so, I still think it would be kind of cool for Ken to be there when/if Matt surpasses his totals. Because f**k the a******s. (oh, got a little hot under the collar - directed totally at the trolls, of course)

We need a "like this post a LOT" emoji!

My word of the day for a troll is "ignoranus" - they are not only stupid; they're also an asshole. 😆

I am crossing fingers/everything crossable that Matt experiences Ken as host (and vice versa).

[saber5055]

15 minutes ago, Bliss said:

I am crossing fingers/everything crossable that Matt experiences Ken as host (and vice versa).

Same here. I even have some "things" crossed as I type this! I think that scenario would be awesome, and Ken would get even more play and publicity if Matt goes 75 under his hosting. To me, that's a win for everyone, including the show itself. I can hear the rate Jeopardy charges for commercials going up already ...

[possibilities]

Removing conflicts of interest should be SOP,  though. They are fresh off the Richards mess. I agree that whatever they do now, it will kick up dust on social media, but doing the right thing and doing it in a graceful way would be wise, regardless of that.

This team has shown they aren't good at managing either actual malfeasance or perceptions thereof. They are also not great at smart public relations and general communication with the public. But it's not hard to do, if you prioritize integrity.

My pie in the sky act of the day is to say that we ought to expect that as a matter of course, but after all, it's TV, and it's 2021, and such hopes are routinely disappointed.

If Matt exceeds Ken's record, it would be better to have Ken emerge from the wings to shake his hand, rather than to have him running the game when it happens.

[CraftyHazel]

Matt looks adorable in his shirt and tie today.

[Bastet]

I'll be watching football tonight, so just checked the archive.

The dawn TS surprised me; even if none of them knew the book, a four-letter word that would fit as the middle segment of a trilogy, between "night" and "day", made "dawn" something I figured someone would guess.  (At least "noon" fit.  The one who said "twilight" obviously forgot the category.)

I ran half the first round categories and only missed one each in the other three.

In DJ, I did not know a single sci-fi film (no surprise, as that's not my genre, and it's a pop culture subcategory I'd have to either study or hope didn't come up if I wanted to try out for the show).  But I did well otherwise - I only ran Before & After and Medical Terms, but I also only missed one each in the rest (and I can't blame any of it on the archive; seeing the painting wouldn't have helped me get pointillism - nothing would help me get pointillism other than spotting me "pointillis_", as I have never heard of it [I have significant knowledge gaps in art history, another thing I'd need to study - and, in fact, something I want to take the time to study someday]).

I got FJ right, but it was a semi-educated guess; I wasn't sure I was right, but couldn't come up with anyone else who seemed to fit.

[ams1001]

27 minutes ago, CraftyHazel said:

Matt looks adorable in his shirt and tie today.

Doesn't he? I love how disbelieving he looks when Mayim announces his record.

Better second round than first: 57% / 73% / 66%

Only ran Medical Terms, and got four each in Inconceivable!, Fry Fry Again, Rivers, and the Arts. Got all three DDs and the TSes of Jaws and murk.

I got FJ pretty quickly, though I wasn't positive.

$83,000, damn.

[M. Darcy]

It’s total bs that Matt didn’t have to answer the full names in the baseball category. The clue had both initials- he should have had to give both names. 

[Katy M]

FJ was an instaget. 

I got the missed clues of Jaws, Dawn, and Latin 1/4 Pounder.

I got the entire category of Asian Rivers right and the entire category of sci fi wrong.

[Browncoat]

Did not get FJ tonight.  But I did get Scotch egg, so there's that.  Jaws seemed obvious in hindsight, but I've not read the book, just seen the movie 49,000 times.

Genre!  

[blueray]

I have to admit this was the first episode were I kind of wish that it wasn't a runaway. It is kind of boring because of that. I have to admit when the one guy started to make a come back I was hoping he'd go all the way. But then Matt got the daily double :( and it kind of turned the flow of the game back to how it was the round before. Does anyone else feel this way?

[HyeChaps]

So Matt was on Good Morning America today. Is there some was to calculate how far he went before being free to travel to New York?

[Browncoat]

1 minute ago, HyeChaps said:

So Matt was on Good Morning America today. Is there some was to calculate how far he went before being free to travel to New York?

If they only tape two days a week, he has a lot of time to travel between tapings.

[blueray]

1 minute ago, Browncoat said:

If they only tape two days a week, he has a lot of time to travel between tapings.

^this. And they tape 5 episode per day. So that would be two weeks worth of episodes.

[secnarf]

$83000 is pretty close to James' $89229, the tenth highest single-game winnings. Would be nice to see Matt get on that scoreboard too. I notice he seems to be improving his gameplay as time goes on and is becoming more confident betting large amounts of money.

[GreekGeek]

8 minutes ago, blueray said:

I have to admit this was the first episode were I kind of wish that it wasn't a runaway. It is kind of boring because of that. I have to admit when the one guy started to make a come back I was hoping he'd go all the way. But then Matt got the daily double :( and it kind of turned the flow of the game back to how it was the round before. Does anyone else feel this way?

Yes.

I was worried there for awhile that the two challengers would just keep digging themselves deeper into the red, especially Mike. It was nice of Mayim to encourage him when he was on a mini-streak.

[ams1001]

Saw my brother the other day; apparently Matt has not grown on him like he has on me.

[Bastet]

37 minutes ago, M. Darcy said:

It’s total bs that Matt didn’t have to answer the full names in the baseball category. The clue had both initials- he should have had to give both names.

I think it was fine to accept only the last names because they hadn't specified in advance that the category required both names, but I think they absolutely should have declared the category required both names and had Mayim note that when introducing it.

[DrSpaceman73]

42 minutes ago, M. Darcy said:

It’s total bs that Matt didn’t have to answer the full names in the baseball category. The clue had both initials- he should have had to give both names. 

So annoying!!

[Kimmmmmm]

1 hour ago, blueray said:

I have to admit this was the first episode were I kind of wish that it wasn't a runaway. It is kind of boring because of that. I have to admit when the one guy started to make a come back I was hoping he'd go all the way. But then Matt got the daily double :( and it kind of turned the flow of the game back to how it was the round before. Does anyone else feel this way?

Not me.

[CraftyHazel]

James reacts to Matt passing his winning streak

Matt just seems like the sweetest, most humble guy.  James?  Not so much.

[alias1]

2 hours ago, blueray said:

I have to admit this was the first episode were I kind of wish that it wasn't a runaway. It is kind of boring because of that. I have to admit when the one guy started to make a come back I was hoping he'd go all the way. But then Matt got the daily double :( and it kind of turned the flow of the game back to how it was the round before. Does anyone else feel this way?

I am tired of the runaways. 

[ams1001]

7 minutes ago, CraftyHazel said:

James reacts to Matt passing his winning streak

Matt just seems like the sweetest, most humble guy.  James?  Not so much.

I liked his response: "I am so proud that a cursory glance of the #Jeopardy record books can now yield a wrong conclusion about which one of us is the better player."

[CraftyHazel]

Matt also now holds position #13 in the highest single day earnings category.  The top 12 positions in that category are all held by James Holzhauer.

[ProudMary]

9 minutes ago, CraftyHazel said:

James reacts to Matt passing his winning streak

Matt just seems like the sweetest, most humble guy.  James?  Not so much.

James could have used lessons from my Mom, who always said, "If you don't have something nice to say about someone, it's ALWAYS better to say nothing at all."  Regarding James Holzhauer, I have been following my Mom's instructions since the very first day of James's Jeopardy! run. 🤐He should do the same because this is most certainly not a good look.

[j5cochran]

2 hours ago, Browncoat said:

If they only tape two days a week, he has a lot of time to travel between tapings.

Assuming that they haven't changed the schedule since Alex Trebek passed away, they tape five games each on Tuesday and Wednesday.

[CraftyHazel]

5 minutes ago, ProudMary said:

James could have used lessons from my Mom, who always said, "If you don't have something nice to say about someone, it's ALWAYS better to say nothing at all."  Regarding James Holzhauer, I have been following my Mom's instructions since the very first day of James's Jeopardy! run. 🤐He should do the same because this is most certainly not a good look.

James reminds me of my older brother.  Completely tone-deaf with the snark volume on blast.  They think they’re joking around, and they’ll tell you it’s all in fun, but there’s just such a cruel, nasty bitterness in what they say that you know they actually mean it.  And it’s particularly ugly in this case, because Matt has been nothing but gracious and admiring in what he says about his fellow record-holders.

[Phebemarie]

Unpopular opinion here: 

I know many of you are enjoying Matt's self-effacing and humble run as champion.  His steady presence certainly saved the show some extra embarrassment during the Mike Richards debacle.  

I'm ready for a new champ.  

As nice as he seems, tonight he could have eased up on the throttle a little bit near the end.  The game was a runaway at $30,000, yet he was still jumping on the button as if his win was in question.  Maybe he's trying to break the daily record or acquire more money than Jeopardy James.  I just felt bad for his opponents tonight.  

 

[SHD]

19 minutes ago, Phebemarie said:

As nice as he seems, tonight he could have eased up on the throttle a little bit near the end.  The game was a runaway at $30,000, yet he was still jumping on the button as if his win was in question.  Maybe he's trying to break the daily record or acquire more money than Jeopardy James.  I just felt bad for his opponents tonight.  

I understand what you’re saying and would agree if it was just a points game. But I would never expect a game show contestant to forfeit  a chance to win as much money as possible just so other contestants don’t feel bad.

I do feel bad for the other contestants, though. It’s no easy feat to pass all the tests to get on the show and then to be unlucky enough to be put up against a steamroller of a champion must feel unfair. 

Edited October 5, 2021 by SHD

[Clanstarling]

12 hours ago, Browncoat said:

Did not get FJ tonight.  But I did get Scotch egg, so there's that.  Jaws seemed obvious in hindsight, but I've not read the book, just seen the movie 49,000 times.

I got scotch egg right off (I'm kind of fascinated by them, though I've neve had one) and got a number of almosts (answer in mind, not in mouth)

10 hours ago, CraftyHazel said:

James reacts to Matt passing his winning streak

Matt just seems like the sweetest, most humble guy.  James?  Not so much.

I've been reading the twitter feed, and it seems to me that it's clearly friendly teasing. But we all have our own life experiences and respond differently to the same things. I'm loving Matt even more now that I'm reading his twitter feed. He is everything you say.

[Clanstarling]

I did get FJ. It was easy in that I thought "cruel and practical = Machiavelli" Never read anything of his, but I am familiar with his approach.

I didn't do great on the boards, but I almost ran SciFi - I think the alliteration in the first clue froze my mind for a few seconds. By the next one, I was used to it.

 

Edited October 5, 2021 by Clanstarling

[saber5055]

I have no problem with James and anything he says or writes. Sarcasm and jokes don't always come across in the written word. There is nothing "evil" or "mean" about James. He is doing quite fine IRL after his Jeopardy run, and his posts are teasing in the way a big brother teases a little brother. Sometimes interpreted as mean but always meant in a joking way.

I say this after my big brother did and said a lot of "mean" things to me, the little sister. I knew he wasn't some serial killer or gang-banging brute. Same with James. Lighten up and have some fun with it because James and Matt are.

If everyone followed mom's advice to not say anything if you don't have anything nice to say, this thread would still be on its first page.

[shapeshifter]

23 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

If everyone followed mom's advice to not say anything if you don't have anything nice to say, this thread would still be on its first page.

That was one of my mom's frequent admonishments, but she seems to have interpreted it to mean to just be sure not say anything bad about anyone that might come back to haunt you. 
Or maybe it was just that her "Do as I say, not as I do" mantra was supposed to be the coda to any other advice.

Anyway, AFAICT, Matt doesn't seem to mind Jeopardy! James's teasing too much.

[Good Queen Jane]

50 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

1 hour ago, saber5055 said:

If everyone followed mom's advice to not say anything if you don't have anything nice to say, this thread would still be on its first page.

That was one of my mom's frequent admonishments, but she seems to have interpreted it to mean to just be sure not say anything bad about anyone that might come back to haunt you. 
Or maybe it was just that her "Do as I say, not as I do" mantra was supposed to be the coda to any other advice.

Anyway, AFAICT, Matt doesn't seem to mind Jeopardy! James's teasing too much.

I much prefer Alice Roosevelt Longworth's advice, " If you don't have anything nice to say, come sit by me."

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, Good Queen Jane said:

I much prefer Alice Roosevelt Longworth's advice, " If you don't have anything nice to say, come sit by me."

You're the only person I've ever "met" who knows that quote did not originate in Steel Magnolias.

[Clanstarling]

9 minutes ago, Bastet said:

You're the only person I've ever "met" who knows that quote did not originate in Steel Magnolias.

Here's another one - I had no idea it was in Steel Magnolias. I knew it was Alice.

[GrannySmith]

1 minute ago, Clanstarling said:

Here's another one - I had no idea it was in Steel Magnolias. I knew it was Alice.

So did I. I had a throw pillow with that saying embroidered on it back In the 70s.

[jaybird2]

3 hours ago, GrannySmith said:

So did I. I had a throw pillow with that saying embroidered on it back In the 70s.

i did too!  

i wish our host would stand still!!  i hate how she bounces her head and swings her shoulders!!

Bring on ken!!

 

 

[ams1001]

83% / 50% / 67%

I was doing so well in the first round! Ran In Search of Alien Life and Their '90s Hit Album, missed one each in It's a Process, Prepositions, and "H"istory, and two in Arithmetalk (which is better than I expected to do in a math category). Got the DD and there were no TSes in the first round.

Then Double Jeopardy happened... no Sonnets, missed one Cult Movie and 2-3 in the other categories. No DDs and my only TS (of 4) was Ann Arbor. (Thanks in part to my favorite Ann Arbor resident. Aside from that, how many cities start with Ann?)

FJ was an instaget. I had an apple for my snack today.

[Katy M]

I completely misunderstood what they were going for in FJ.  Don't ask. I'm embarrassed.

I got the missed clues of Ann Arbor and financier.

I got the entire category of prepositions right.

Not a good night for me.

[Browncoat]

I am having a bad week!  I couldn't even figure out what the clue for FJ wanted.  I think I must not have paid attention to the category or something.  Who knows. 

And the only TS I got was financier.  

[blueray]

It took me a second but I did get FJ. I was surprised it was something that I did know.

[GreekGeek]

4 minutes ago, Katy M said:

I completely misunderstood what they were going for in FJ.  Don't ask. I'm embarrassed.

I got the missed clues of Ann Arbor and financier.

I got the entire category of prepositions right.

Not a good night for me.

No judgment here! I thought of “5 a day is the healthy way.”

I felt bad that Angie didn’t get to be on the show when Alex was still alive. And having to go up against Matt after waiting so long. I wondered if her letter was a factor at all in the creation of the Kids’ Tournament.