Jeopardy! Season 38 (2021-2022)

[Trey]

18 minutes ago, Bastet said:

He'd say that sometimes, and then there would be other times where I was positive there would have been another acceptable response written on the answer sheet but he didn't say anything, and then it would drive me nuts wondering if they didn't think of the other response in their rundown or if it was there and he just didn't mention it.

But often enough someone here on the board would have given the alternate answer and then asked "would they have accepted __________". So we would at least get some sort of closure that way.

[dcalley]

Someone on twitter discusses every contestant outfit if anyone's interested in that. It's all pretty positive commentary, from what I can tell, or else I would not link to it. I've only seen a few of their tweets, though, so no guarantees. https://twitter.com/OneEclecticMom I found that account when I was trying to decipher the outfit changes I noticed in photos of the professors. What a wild goose chase that was for me! 

 

7 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

Fair point, though I think he's only done it with Amy, whose DD wagers are fairly consistent (or at least there was a run of the same wager for awhile).

I too wanted to buy individual channels. I cut the cord a long time ago, so I didn't know you could do that. Unless you mean streaming channels, which is what we use - and which can be a pain.

I think he's more than once said something along the lines of "I think that's the right call" to challengers' DD wagers.

Yes, I meant streaming. I think the cable packages are largely the same as ever, but I don't know for sure because I don't even have basic cable. I have limited basic cable, which is essentially just the networks.

[Clanstarling]

41 minutes ago, dcalley said:

 

Yes, I meant streaming. I think the cable packages are largely the same as ever, but I don't know for sure because I don't even have basic cable. I have limited basic cable, which is essentially just the networks.

We got a digital antenna, and dusted off our old TiVo. So we get the networks and pbs most of the time. Bad weather sometimes makes it dicey though.

 

[853fisher]

I was glad Amy pulled through, but I would've been happy to see Geoff win too.  I always root, at least a bit, for the few contestants whose occupations fall in the traditional "blue collar" realm.  Now I'd love to see Amy clear a million tomorrow.

I have been a big booster of Ken but found myself wishing he would dial it back just a bit today.  The stats and info are interesting and varied, but sometimes it feels to me like he goes on just a bit too long at the beginning of the show, followed by an awkward "...and the other two are here too!"  That may be egged on in part by the new EP, who has expressed his interest in this stuff, and who knows when they'll next have a superchamp to do it with?  So I do get it, even if I think it's too much sometimes.

I'm also not sure how I feel about him mentioning specific dollar amounts going into FJ, as betting strategy is an established part of the game these days.  There's a robust discussion about this going on at Reddit.  I would simply urge Ken to keep in mind "less is more."  I still think he's doing a wonderful job overall and infinitely prefer him over Blossom.

[Katy M]

I got FJ. 

Pretty good night.  

[ams1001]

A Youtube game for me tonight (left work late and had to stop at the store...the milk coolers were practically empty; they must be predicting snow!)

73% / 73% / 72%

Ran "Mal"Practice and Psych Terms, missed one each in six other categories. Got the only TS of the game - the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Holding steady at one FJ for the week so far (Monday...guess that instaget was not a harbinger of things to come after all). At least I was consistent tonight.

[Browncoat]

I did not get FJ again, although I certainly should have.  I've been there!  

However, I did get the TS of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, thank you, Book of Mormon.

[PBnJay]

Shout out today to poster @JudyObscure. Congratulations!

Someone I know pre-guessed Malamute for the MAL category.

[PBnJay]

12 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

However, I did get the TS of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, thank you, Book of Mormon.

That was an interesting TS since Ken is Mormon.

Edited January 7, 2022 by PBnJay

[Bastet]

Yikes; I have apparently forgotten most of what I learned about the Missouri Compromise.  I didn't take notes tonight, but I missed at least three of those.  Same with literary characters.  I was also - to the surprise of no one - terrible in the religion category, missing all but the celibacy clue.  (I almost knew the answer to the Mormon clue, but, like the contestants, didn't get the words in the right order.)

I don't watch any of the shows in TV Science, but only missed one of those clues, so three cheers for pop culture osmosis.

FJ took a long time to come to me for a place I've been to, but come to me it finally did.

[Caoimhe]

My answer to FJ was The White Tower.  I like to think it would have been ruled correct since it was the actual building being referred to by the clue.

[blueray]

I'm a bit ashamed for the one question (which I forgot what it was). I said prostitute when it was supposed to be models. 

[HyeChaps]

That was exciting!

 

[GreekGeek]

14 minutes ago, blueray said:

I'm a bit ashamed for the one question (which I forgot what it was). I said prostitute when it was supposed to be models. 

It was something like "strut on the runway, won't get out of bed for less than $10,000." (Now if the clue had said "Won't get into bed...")
 

[chessiegal]

15 minutes ago, blueray said:

I'm a bit ashamed for the one question (which I forgot what it was). I said prostitute when it was supposed to be models. 

Clue:

Quote

Catwalking; being "elite" like Cindy, Christy & Naomi; not getting out of bed for less than $10,000 a day

The answer was supermodel. I'll spot you prostitute for the not getting get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day.

[Bastet]

The $10k/day thing was an infamous quote by Linda Evangelista in the '90s (when supermodels were at peak popularity), about a saying she and fellow supermodel Christy Turlington shared: "We don’t wake up for less than $10,000 a day”.  (The wording has become twisted over the years, often to "get out of bed", but that's what she actually said in an interview.)

If sex workers made even a small fraction of $10,000/day, in or out of bed, their lives would be very different.

[30 Helens]

2 hours ago, PBnJay said:

That was an interesting TS since Ken is Mormon.

And he revealed the answer with the same deadpan delivery that Alex used when there was a TS about Canada. It made me laugh.

[Cotypubby]

Doh, I said Westminster Abbey for FJ. I knew it was in London and had to do with the Norman Conquest but I got my Famous London Stone Buildings mixed up.

[possibilities]

I really appreciated Ken pronouncing Beijing the way he did. It's a constant irritation to me when people don't give it the hard j sound.

On the other hand, it felt kind of insulting the way Ken talked about Amy being "the real deal". Did anyone think she wasn't? Did other super-champs get talked about as though you didn't really believe they were great players until you did their stats and compared them to other super-champs? I sure don't remember Matt getting that condescending treatment. 

I like Amy a lot, but I also think that the extent to which Ken is talking about her and drawing attention to her game dominance is unfair to the challengers. It's not just at the beginning of the game, either; he does it during the games as well, like when he talks about how unusual it is for her to be in second place, or he comments on her wagers and whether they are usual or unusual for her. I get that he's excited by her run-- I am too! But in his job as host I think he needs to rein it in a bit so as not to diminish the other players. He's becoming too familiar with her. It's natural, but he should resist the urge.

[853fisher]

3 minutes ago, possibilities said:

[Ken]'s becoming too familiar with [Amy]. It's natural, but he should resist the urge.

That's a great way to put it succinctly.  I wish I'd said it first. ;)

[Miss Anne Thrope]

7 hours ago, possibilities said:

But in his job as host I think he needs to rein it in a bit so as not to diminish the other players. He's becoming too familiar with her. It's natural, but he should resist the urge.

 

7 hours ago, 853fisher said:

That's a great way to put it succinctly.  I wish I'd said it first. ;)

 

I feel like Alex Trebek did the same thing with James Holzhauer; there were times the hub and I would moan "We get it, you really, really like him" at the TV during that run.  Not saying it's right to do so, just that the master also became too invested (IMO) in a particular contestant, which made me wonder how those challengers of the day felt.   While Ken may even feel a little protective of Amy based on the online trolling she has endured, I too would appreciate a little less closeness. 

[Clanstarling]

13 hours ago, PBnJay said:

That was an interesting TS since Ken is Mormon.

 

10 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

And he revealed the answer with the same deadpan delivery that Alex used when there was a TS about Canada. It made me laugh.

If Ken becomes permanent host (please, please), I wonder if there'll be more LDS clues, the way there were so many Canadian clues when Alex reigned.

53 minutes ago, Miss Anne Thrope said:

I feel like Alex Trebek did the same thing with James Holzhauer; there were times the hub and I would moan "We get it, you really, really like him" at the TV during that run.  Not saying it's right to do so, just that the master also became too invested (IMO) in a particular contestant, which made me wonder how those challengers of the day felt.   While Ken may even feel a little protective of Amy based on the online trolling she has endured, I too would appreciate a little less closeness. 

He absolutely did. If I recall, he's the one who gave him the moniker Jeopardy James. Or at least I first heard it from Alex.

I think part of it simply that they (hosts) get to know the champions so well compared to other contestants, that it's difficult to separate the personal relationship and interest from the patter. And Ken, given his former profession, leans toward statistics and numbers.

Interesting that they had a clue regarding dyslexia when they had a contestant with the opposite affliction.

I was confident in movie quote with An Affair to Remember - except my mouth said "When Harry Met Sally" instead. Sigh...

I said "celibacy" instead of "chastity" though I think it would have been accepted.

I did reasonably well in most categories, but didn't run anything, and didn't get FJ. Said Notre Dame because I didn't really have a clue, and the mister who also didn't have a clue, got it right.

Edited January 7, 2022 by Clanstarling

[NoReally]

8 hours ago, possibilities said:

I like Amy a lot, but I also think that the extent to which Ken is talking about her and drawing attention to her game dominance is unfair to the challengers.

I agree with this 100 percent. And I think it's also unfair to Amy by putting extra pressure on her.

[Trey]

53 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

I said "celibacy" instead of "chastity" though I think it would have been accepted.

I think celibacy is more correct than chastity. 

I didn't realize the Mormon clue was the only ts.  I got it but I can see that it would be easy to garble.

My first response for FJ was Hadrian's Wall but that's just one wall, not a building.  Then I had nothing and at the last second I threw out Tower of London? strictly as a guess.  Sometimes those guesses pay off.

Edited January 7, 2022 by Trey

[PBnJay]

4 hours ago, Miss Anne Thrope said:

I feel like Alex Trebek did the same thing with James Holzhauer;

Yes, Alex went OTT with "Jeopardy" James. We tend to forget that Mr. Trebek had many flaws. I also think the show wants the host to talk up a big winner to get more people tuned in and Ken is being directed to say many of his comments. I've been seeing commercials touting Amy just as I saw many commercials promoting "Jeopardy" James. I'm just glad Amy doesn't have some Jeopardy nickname. Yet.

[ams1001]

32 minutes ago, PBnJay said:

Yes, Alex went OTT with "Jeopardy" James. We tend to forget that Mr. Trebek had many flaws. I also think the show wants the host to talk up a big winner to get more people tuned in and Ken is being directed to say many of his comments. I've been seeing commercials touting Amy just as I saw many commercials promoting "Jeopardy" James. I'm just glad Amy doesn't have some Jeopardy nickname. Yet.

Alex brought up James for weeks after, too.

Amy doesn't have a show nickname that I know of but her twitter handle is Jeopardamy.

[JudyObscure]

I did not get "Jude the Obscure." Yep.  I was busy wondering if the "Mayor of Casterbridge" would count as a name in the title.  SMH.  Between my aging brain and the way Amy seems to have sped up the game, I can't get the few things I know out of my mouth fast enough.

I'm ready for Amy to get her million and then go down.  I like her, but so many other people I've liked have gone by in such a hurry.  I really liked the other woman last night.

[ProudMary]

Regarding the hosts somewhat fawning over super champions: Yes, Ken is overdoing it with Amy and Alex did the same with Holzhauer, but let's not forget Mayim's adulation of Matt Amodio.

I guess it's inevitable. It just makes me feel bad for the challengers.

[dcalley]

1 hour ago, JudyObscure said:

I was busy wondering if the "Mayor of Casterbridge" would count as a name in the title. 

Me too!

[853fisher]

I loved the mention of “grabbing the brass ring.” That is one of my favorite little things that has become a memory most places but is kept up as a beloved tradition in a few special places, about a dozen in the USA in this case. It involves a dispenser extended perpendicular to the carousel platform and filled with small rings, which riders grab as they pass. This is thought to be a riff on the carousel’s origin as a military training device, and it does take more dexterity than you might guess, especially when you’re on an animal going up-and-down rather than a stationary one. Here’s a good video of how it works.

(The rest of the novella about brass rings is under spoiler tag for those driven nuts by scrolling through big chunks of text.)

Spoiler

 

The traditional prize, as mentioned on the show, is a free ride for a single brass ring in each ride: the rest are steel and “just for fun.” An alternate twist is a target to throw the rings back at, which reacts with light and sound if you hit it just right. If you’re good and/or lucky, you can get more than one ring on each pass, which can be its own little game. It sounds simple, but it is so much fun, for people of all ages. With a good crowd, the platform and the building light up with cheers when the glint of the brass is spotted or the bells and whistles indicate that someone has nailed their toss at the target.

One big reason not many places run rings anymore is the specter of litigation in our society, linked with squeamish insurers and sometimes government inspection bodies, even though incidents beyond a broken nail are very rare. There’s also the expense of an additional employee to run the machine, which usually requires manual feeding, and of the rings themselves, which are often taken as souvenirs. Add a few more shifts in amusement parks over the years, like the negation of the free ride offer as many parks shifted from tickets-as-you-go to pay-one-admission price and the shift over many decades toward perceiving carousels as “kiddie rides,” and it’s no wonder that the game has largely passed into history.

Yet at those dozen or so places where it’s still alive, it’s just wonderful! Give me a grand old carousel, carved and painted by hand, with an authentic band organ and the ring game, and there’s just nothing like it for pure fun, something that can be enjoyed almost exactly the same way it was 25, 50, 75, 100, 125 years ago. I find it truly life affirming and I wish everyone could experience it just once.

My favorite places to catch the rings are Knoebels Groves in central PA, in an idyllic setting with many rides and other features that are among the last of their kind anywhere; the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk south of San Francisco, which matches seaside park traditions with a modern park seamlessly; and Crescent Park in East Providence RI, once the showpiece for prospective buyers from Charles Looff, one of the most successful carousel artisans.

 

I will say I was also disappointed that Judy Woodruff got the stand-and-stare.  I really admire her and the way the NewsHour approaches things.  I'm afraid I recall that Gwen Ifill was also a TS in the $2000 box not long ago.  For shame!

Edited January 8, 2022 by 853fisher

[Browncoat]

I completely blanked yet again on FJ tonight.  I feel like it was another one I should have known, because I've heard of him and his story, but I don't know anything about the book.

I did, however, get South Dakota and Nebraska, wren, and hawk.

 

[ams1001]

Go Amy! A millionaire!

70% / 50% / 61%

Ran Metaphors, missed one each in 70s, Move It, and Double Time, Birds, and Border Line. Got zero widows and one solo hit. My only TS was wren (which I pre-guessed when I saw the category) and I got the missed DD of Common (took me a few seconds; I'm not a rap fan but I was trying to think of words that go with "Sense" and there you go). (I also got South Dakota but not Nebraska.) FJ was an instaget, so at least I get to end the week at the table for two.

The other day I got all of the 2K clues, and tonight I got none of them.

I have 15 Susan B. Anthony dollars (my aunt gave them to me when I was a kid; they're in a little bank shaped like a treasure chest). Went to look at them during the commercial and realized I have a bunch of other stuff in there, too - a Buffalo nickel, three wheat pennies, a 1944 dime (the year my mom was born), a 1983 Kennedy half dollar, some Canadian coins (mostly pennies), several coins from Bermuda, Barbados, and the Dominican Republic, a British twenty pence coin, a Brazilian ten centanos coin, one that says Eire on it so presumably Ireland and another from France, one that appears to have Hebrew lettering, so I'm guessing Israel, and another that looks similar to Arabic but I'm not sure and I have no clue where that one came from. (The only one of these places I've been to is Canada; my parents have been to Bermuda and I think Barbados. Most of them I probably picked up while working retail; occasionally I'd find foreign coins when counting tills at the end of the night.) Plus a couple $2 bills and a $10 silver certificate (series of 1934). And a flattened penny from one of those machines in San Francisco (which I have also never been to).

Edited January 8, 2022 by ams1001

[dcalley]

Sorry, Cher, I said Nancy Sinatra. I like Sinatra's version better, I guess, if I think of it as her song.

 

[853fisher]

33 minutes ago, dcalley said:

Sorry, Cher, I said Nancy Sinatra. I like Sinatra's version better, I guess, if I think of it as her song.

 

I also like Nancy's better than Cher's, but I like Dalida's even better.  She was born in Egypt to Italian parents and lived most of her life in France, and could sing in 10 languages.  I just adore her!  Sadly she was something of a tortured soul and she died by suicide when she was only 54.

 

Edited January 8, 2022 by 853fisher

[Mindthinkr]

I watched with my friend. She was impressed that I did so well, including getting FJ correct. 
I was just happy I didn’t embarrass myself! 
 

[Bastet]

The Judy Woodruff TS made me sad. 

I only ran '70s America in first round, but at least I got all but one in most of the rest.

In DJ, I only ran borders.  I mostly missed one or two in the others, but I was terrible in birds; I only knew mourning doves (I have a lot of those hang out in my backyard).  I missed three in monikers (it came close to being all five, but I got lucky with two guesses).

I finished off by having absolutely no idea for FJ, and I could have sat here until I died and not come up with it.

[secnarf]

2 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I have a bunch of other stuff in there, too - a Buffalo nickel, three wheat pennies, a 1944 dime (the year my mom was born), a 1983 Kennedy half dollar, some Canadian coins (mostly pennies), several coins from Bermuda, Barbados, and the Dominican Republic, a British twenty pence coin, a Brazilian ten centanos coin, one that says Eire on it so presumably Ireland and another from France, one that appears to have Hebrew lettering, so I'm guessing Israel, and another that looks similar to Arabic but I'm not sure and I have no clue where that one came from.

Taking to small talk.

I am so happy that Amy keeps winning. I am checking ahead of time most days because watching is stressing me out!

Yet another FJ I had no clue on.

[possibilities]

How far ahead of airing do they tape? I'm wondering when these episodes were filmed.

[30 Helens]

9 hours ago, PBnJay said:

I also think the show wants the host to talk up a big winner to get more people tuned in and Ken is being directed to say many of his comments. I've been seeing commercials touting Amy just as I saw many commercials promoting "Jeopardy" James.

I think this is the main reason Ken is drawing attention to Amy’s record— just as Alex hyped up James and Blossom celebrated Matt.

Drama drives viewership. It’s no coincidence that ratings climb when there’s a long winning streak. So whatever the show can do to get people invested, including reminding viewers of how far a given player has come and what’s at stake, it’s going to take advantage of that. Ken is just the current front man for that type of promotion. He’s doing his job.

Also, as one of the few people who truly appreciates what it takes to be in Amy’s position, it would be odd if he didn’t show some excitement for her. And while the other contestants may curse their luck at going up against such a powerhouse, I doubt they begrudge Ken his enthusiasm. I certainly don’t.

[Bastet]

34 minutes ago, possibilities said:

How far ahead of airing do they tape? I'm wondering when these episodes were filmed.

The archive lists tonight's game's tape date as November 1st.

[kathyk24]

35 minutes ago, 30 Helens said:

I think this is the main reason Ken is drawing attention to Amy’s record— just as Alex hyped up James and Blossom celebrated Matt.

Drama drives viewership. It’s no coincidence that ratings climb when there’s a long winning streak. So whatever the show can do to get people invested, including reminding viewers of how far a given player has come and what’s at stake, it’s going to take advantage of that. Ken is just the current front man for that type of promotion. He’s doing his job.

Also, as one of the few people who truly appreciates what it takes to be in Amy’s position, it would be odd if he didn’t show some excitement for her. And while the other contestants may curse their luck at going up against such a powerhouse, I doubt they begrudge Ken his enthusiasm. I certainly don’t.

I think Ken would have treated Matt the same way he treats Amy if he had been hosting during his run. James has said on Twitter that he admired Alex so Alex was just returning the favor.

[ams1001]

36 minutes ago, Bastet said:

The archive lists tonight's game's tape date as November 1st.

I never noticed that it included the tape date! This came up in the last week or two and google results suggested they tape about 3 months ahead. Guess it's closer to 2...

[illdoc]

7 hours ago, ams1001 said:

This came up in the last week or two and google results suggested they tape about 3 months ahead. Guess it's closer to 2...

Anyone thinking that next Friday (Jan 17) there will be a special "Betty White" category (being the centennial of her birth)? If so, will there be some notion indicating that it had been taped months ago? There was a clue or two several years ago where they did put something on the screen to indicate it had been taped a month before, because it referenced something that was no longer true (or cringe-worthy, like saying "they've never had a hurricane" when they just had one)

[Clanstarling]

8 hours ago, Bastet said:

The archive lists tonight's game's tape date as November 1st.

I didn't know the tape date was listed, but after looking, I'm not surprised. It's the very last line on the screen (other than the teeny tiny copyright etc line). Thanks for letting us know.

I did fairly well, almost ran a couple of categories.

Jarvis and Gann basically ruined my career as a librarian. Before them, library school boasted an 80% employment rate. But my class graduated into a job market that had more than a 100 applicants for every public library job. I got into the top 5 at one library, and top 3 at another. But sadly, no joy at either one. So their names live in infamy for me.

With "spoils the barrel" my mind went directly to pickel - I knew that was wrong, but I just couldn't get to apple in time.

Cher was an instaget for me. I'm not sure why - I was about 10 or 11 when that came out, and not in the States. I don't think I knew Sinatra had a cover (again, probably because I was out of the country).

I almost ran borders, which is an achievement for this geographically challenged old lady. I was also thrilled to get a Canadian answer correct, for once.

FJ was almost an instaget, Norwegian + Sea = Heyerdahl for me. I ignored the date, because I thought that was a little early. I read about the Kon Tiki as a kid and it stuck with me.

 

Edited January 8, 2022 by Clanstarling

[Clanstarling]

6 minutes ago, illdoc said:

Anyone thinking that next Friday (Jan 17) there will be a special "Betty White" category (being the centennial of her birth)?

Well now I do.

[Trey]

A Betty White category would be cool.

Only two ts's for me, Cher and wren.

Instaget FJ.  I remember reading Kon-tiki and The Ra Expeditions many years ago and enjoying them very much.

[Browncoat]

1 hour ago, illdoc said:

Anyone thinking that next Friday (Jan 17) there will be a special "Betty White" category (being the centennial of her birth)?

Well, except that next Friday is Jan 14.  Maybe the following Monday?

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, Clanstarling said:

I did fairly well, almost ran a couple of categories.

 

Hah! That's what I say to myself about 1/3 of the time, but then I come here and think "almost running categories" isn't "doing well." I might borrow this turn of phrase in the future. 🌞 
For Friday I only "almost ran" the category of DOUBLE TIME, so I didn't not feel like I did well for the game.

Maybe because I'm probably a decade older than those of you who think you're "old," I went with Nancy Sinatra instead of Cher. And not only was it longer ago when I read Kon-tiki and The Ra Expeditions, but I think I was very young when I read them and didn't internalize the author or country of origin, although I still think of the voyages from time to time (I love the open water).

 

20 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

Between my aging brain and the way Amy seems to have sped up the game, I can't get the few things I know out of my mouth fast enough.

That's how it seems to me too, and it did with Matt Amodio too, even though there are sometimes clues left on the board.
Are the super champs really faster? Or does it just seem that way? 

Sometimes I think I'm too distracted with the visuals too, but I really don't want to turn off the captions.

[chessiegal]

The games are moving at a good pace.

From Andy Saunders of The Jeopardy! Fan website -

Quote

Quote

Andy’s Thoughts:

Today was the first regular-play game with any unrevealed clues since November 23.

 

I knew they had cleared the boards for quite some time, but was too lazy to look it up. Thank you, Andy.

Edited January 8, 2022 by chessiegal
Because explanation marks are important!

[Trey]

 

24 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Maybe because I'm probably a decade older than those of you who think you're "old," I went with Nancy Sinatra instead of Cher.

I have no memory of the Nancy Sinatra version of Bang Bang even though it was released in 1966, same as Cher's version - just listened to it and don't care for it at all.  Love Cher's version.