S01.E07: Quarterfinal #6: Ray Romano, Joel Kim Booster and Melissa Rauch

[Athena]

Quote

Quarterfinal #6: Ray Romano, Joel Kim Booster and Melissa Rauch

[LexieLily]

I would NOT have recognized that man as Ray Romano!

[ams1001]

I like Joel; he was on a podcast I listen to a while back and wasn't in a great place at the time, so every time I see his name I wonder how he's doing. I hope he's better now. Melissa I mostly know from The Big Bang Theory so it's weird to hear her normal voice. (Also forgot she's from a neighboring town to me until they introduced her.)

I wonder how tall Melissa's platform is...google tells me she's 4'11" and Ray is 6'2" (google didn't give me a height for Joel).

Edited November 7, 2022 by ams1001

[chitowngirl]

Does anyone else find the questions before the commercial breaks so long and convoluted that one has no idea what they are asking for? 

[ams1001]

7 minutes ago, chitowngirl said:

Does anyone else find the questions before the commercial breaks so long and convoluted that one has no idea what they are asking for? 

Yes. Last week the break was almost over before I sorted out that they were looking for a magazine and not something else.

[Grizzly]

We certainly can't complain these celebrities are too extra. Did someone put decaf in the coffee pot? And I am felling incredibly smart tonight. Can't believe no one got Robin Hood or Wyoming. I don't know Joel but he played a good game, not that he had much competition. 

[Browncoat]

I have no idea who Joel is, but I'm glad he beat Ray Romano.  Everyone does NOT love Ray.  

It was weird hearing Melissa's normal voice!  

Overall, it was a sad game, with too many easy clues that were TS.  I can't believe only one of them knew FJ.  

The next matches should be interesting.

[Fex]

16 minutes ago, Grizzly said:

We certainly can't complain these celebrities are too extra. Did someone put decaf in the coffee pot? And I am felling incredibly smart tonight. Can't believe no one got Robin Hood or Wyoming. I don't know Joel but he played a good game, not that he had much competition. 

I almost forgot I was watching celebrity Jeopardy, based on the demeanor and energy level of the contestants. So I felt really smart lol! It made sense when Joel said in the interview he practiced with former j players. 

I wouldn't have known Joel, except I just watched his movie, Fire Island, last week!

[secnarf]

When the TOC makes me feel dumb, at least there is Celebrity Jeopardy to make me feel smart again.

Missed the first 10 mins of the game as CTV decided they will air something else and so my PVR didn't record, but I liked the tone of the game - they weren't too overly hyper or chatty, but still moreso than a regular game.

I wonder if they would have allowed jazzercise for aerobics. Too specific?

[dgpolo]

4 minutes ago, secnarf said:

I wonder if they would have allowed jazzercise for aerobics. Too specific?

It had to begin with two vowels, so no.

27 minutes ago, Grizzly said:

Can't believe no one got Robin Hood

I was like Ray and thought they wanted the comedian so I also said Mel Brooks, then changed to Robin Hood. It was a confusing category, I thought it meant the history of comedy but instead was about bits of history used by comedians in their acts.

[Miss Chevious]

I had never heard of two of the celebrity contestants that were on tonight and barely recognized Ray Romano. Mayim is way too giddy, she giggled her way through most of the show. Loved Johnny Gilbert’s reading of the song lyrics category. That voice! 

[SHD]

In the end it didn’t matter, but I’m calling BS on them accepting “Dr. Ken” for Ken Jeong. 

I enjoyed all the contestants tonight. I wish the game hadn’t been so unevenly matched. 
 

It was kind of funny that Joel guessed “Gotham” twice incorrectly.

[ams1001]

25 minutes ago, SHD said:

In the end it didn’t matter, but I’m calling BS on them accepting “Dr. Ken” for Ken Jeong. 

I enjoyed all the contestants tonight. I wish the game hadn’t been so unevenly matched. 
 

It was kind of funny that Joel guessed “Gotham” twice incorrectly.

"The answer's never Gotham!"

There was something else I heard that I think was technically wrong but I was like, eh, it's a celeb/charity game so whatever. Can't remember what it was, now.

[dgpolo]

1 minute ago, ams1001 said:

There was something else I heard that I think was technically wrong but I was like, eh, it's a celeb/charity game so whatever. Can't remember what it was, now.

Yes, I remember thinking, they wouldn't have accepted that on regular Jeopardy. Maybe the form of a word or a singular/plural thing? this game wasn't on the Archive yet or I would check.

[ams1001]

8 minutes ago, dgpolo said:

Yes, I remember thinking, they wouldn't have accepted that on regular Jeopardy. Maybe the form of a word or a singular/plural thing? this game wasn't on the Archive yet or I would check.

Yeah, it was something like that.

For any NPR fans, Joel has also been a panelist on Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me! (most recently in March 2022, according to their stats page).

[possibilities]

I know I'm a stick in the mud, but I enjoyed how sober this game was. Everybody was good natured and there were a few laughs, but mostly they just played. I think Mayim was trying to goose them into more dramatics at one point; I guess the producers want the celebrity games to be a bit zany. But I don't at all mind it when they contestants just play the game. 

[30 Helens]

40 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

"The answer's never Gotham!"

Just before he said that, I commented on his repeated guess of “Gotham”, so this made me laugh out loud. And also really made me like him, even though I’ve never heard of him before. It’s been a while since I’ve listened to “Wait Wait”, but I may have to seek out that episode.

I was surprised by Ray Romano. I expected him to be a lot smarter. Every answer he gave, even the super easy ones, were hesitant and unsure. I’ve never seen “Big Bang Theory”, so I don’t know Melissa and had no expectations of her. It wasn’t a great game, but a pleasant one and refreshingly free of annoying posturing.

[SomeTameGazelle]

46 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

There was something else I heard that I think was technically wrong but I was like, eh, it's a celeb/charity game so whatever. Can't remember what it was, now.

Was it Ray mispronouncing larynx? 

2 hours ago, chitowngirl said:

Does anyone else find the questions before the commercial breaks so long and convoluted that one has no idea what they are asking for? 

I will add that I loathe and despise that red question mark they use in the response.

25 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I know I'm a stick in the mud, but I enjoyed how sober this game was. Everybody was good natured and there were a few laughs, but mostly they just played.

I would have liked a little more levity because I was afraid that Ray and Melissa actually felt bad.

1 hour ago, Miss Chevious said:

Mayim is way too giddy, she giggled her way through most of the show.

I wouldn't say most, but I did think her laugh in the Walter Raleigh clue might be what misled Melissa into guessing marijuana instead of tobacco.

Edited November 7, 2022 by SomeTameGazelle
Stupid aggressive autocorrect

[Leeds]

Well, at least one of those celebrities seems to possess some general knowledge.  It was as if the other two grew up under rocks.

[853fisher]

I thought Ray was lucky to get away with credit for "larynx."  What he said sounded more to me like Larinex, the antihistamine.

Count me with those who found the sobriety of the game refreshing.  It also made the handful of quips or other funny moments "pop" more.  I surprised myself by literally laughing out loud a few times.

I really don't like "Big Bang Theory" and expected to feel the same way about Melissa, but she won me over with her sincerity.  She certainly wasn't the best player ever, but I thought she was very charming.

That big red question mark at the end of the Ulysses-length "clues for you" bothers me too, @SomeTameGazelle.  Between that and the trophy, I hope they don't try to make that a big new symbol for the show.

[Gimmick Genius]

1 hour ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

Was it Ray mispronouncing larynx? 

Yes, I thought I heard the (fairly common) mispronunciation "larnyx." Maybe they did allow it because at least it satisfied the clue (Another name for Voice Box that also ends in "X"). 

[ams1001]

8 hours ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

Was it Ray mispronouncing larynx? 

No, but I did notice that, too. Not the first time I've heard that pronunciation, actually. I'll have to look at the archive later and see if I can find it. (The game isn't there yet.)

Edited November 7, 2022 by ams1001

[SoMuchTV]

9 hours ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

10 hours ago, ams1001 said:

There was something else I heard that I think was technically wrong but I was like, eh, it's a celeb/charity game so whatever. Can't remember what it was, now.

Was it Ray mispronouncing larynx? 

Or even, (technically), "Legos"?

[SHD]

10 hours ago, Leeds said:

Well, at least one of those celebrities seems to possess some general knowledge.  It was as if the other two grew up under rocks.

I feel like Ray and Melissa just were slower on the signaling device. I'm sure they knew at least some of those answers that Joel just got to first.

Ray outright admitted that he has to pause questions at home to give himself time to think. I like that even after the game he seemed like he was just happy to have had the chance to play.

1 hour ago, SoMuchTV said:

Or even, (technically), "Legos"?

That only bugged me because of all the grief Seth Meyers got about Lego/Legos. Otherwise, I would've had no idea LegoS was incorrect!

[ams1001]

2 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

Or even, (technically), "Legos"?

That, too, but I don't think that was it. 

[SoMuchTV]

32 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

That, too, but I don't think that was it. 

I agree, I'm leaning toward "larnyx".  In a "real" game, I don't think that would have been accepted.

[MrAtoz]

13 hours ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

I wouldn't say most, but I did think her laugh in the Walter Raleigh clue might be what misled Melissa into guessing marijuana instead of tobacco.

I think she was imitating the way Bob Newhart delivered those lines in his routine.  It's one of Newhart's trademark one-way phone call routines.  The idea is that he's a guy back in England, listening to Raleigh describing what you do with tobacco.  He can barely contain his laughter at the thought of shredding up a bunch of leaves, sticking them in your mouth, and lighting them on fire.  It sounds ridiculous, and of course Raleigh is an idiot for thinking such a thing will ever catch on.

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, SHD said:

I feel like Ray and Melissa just were slower on the signaling device. I'm sure they knew at least some of those answers that Joel just got to first.

I noticed after the first break Melissa was able to buzz in for some clues.
I think I've seen this with other celebrity contestants too.
Maybe it's like when I "didn't have time to do a rehearsal" for my wedding because I had a 2-month-old baby and a kindergartener, resulting in the officiant miss-pronouncing our last name throughout the entire ceremony?
Likewise, maybe the celebrities don't think it's necessary to practice for an unscripted show?

[Glitches]

14 hours ago, possibilities said:

I think Mayim was trying to goose them into more dramatics at one point

Seriously cringey when Mayim called out their lacking humor. SO happy the game did not devolve. 

[Ailianna]

This game definitely brought up an issue I've considered before in these games. That's how obviously close friends May I'm is with certain contestants, which she also makes a big deal of pointing out. One could argue that it's for charity so it doesn't matter if one player is besties with the host and clearly the others she either barely knew or was politely respectful of. But the eventual winner's charity gets $1 million. I really don't like the feeling that she just invited some friends over and the only reason they got on the show is their friendship with the host. Just looks so bad, imo.

I also thought the clues were good for my ego, but I actually liked one of those endless commercial clues best. Jeopardy! has confirmed that The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the first book in the Narnia series!!

[Clanstarling]

On 11/6/2022 at 5:03 PM, LexieLily said:

I would NOT have recognized that man as Ray Romano!

I've seen Ray over the years, and certainly within the last few years, so I definitely recognized him.

On 11/6/2022 at 5:59 PM, Grizzly said:

We certainly can't complain these celebrities are too extra. Did someone put decaf in the coffee pot? And I am felling incredibly smart tonight. Can't believe no one got Robin Hood or Wyoming. I don't know Joel but he played a good game, not that he had much competition. 

I got Robin Hood immediately, but the mister was confused by the wording, so we ran the show back and I explained.

On 11/6/2022 at 6:56 PM, SHD said:

In the end it didn’t matter, but I’m calling BS on them accepting “Dr. Ken” for Ken Jeong.

Me too.

On 11/6/2022 at 7:43 PM, possibilities said:

I know I'm a stick in the mud, but I enjoyed how sober this game was. Everybody was good natured and there were a few laughs, but mostly they just played. I think Mayim was trying to goose them into more dramatics at one point; I guess the producers want the celebrity games to be a bit zany. But I don't at all mind it when they contestants just play the game. 

I might have been okay with the sober playing - if Ray and Melissa had been any good. I found this a tedious episode because of all the incorrect answers and blank looks.

On 11/6/2022 at 8:04 PM, 30 Helens said:

I was surprised by Ray Romano. I expected him to be a lot smarter. Every answer he gave, even the super easy ones, were hesitant and unsure.

At first I thought it was a bit he was doing, but since he did it every single time, maybe not. I thought he was far smarter, but we don't really know celebrities, do we?

As for Hasan Minaj, I like him, but yeah, he was over the top. I hesitated to share link to his interview on Jimmy Fallon - so be warned. I think it's hilarious, but then again, I like the mugging comedians on the show. Let's just say the title is a bit off.

[SomeTameGazelle]

On 11/7/2022 at 12:28 AM, 853fisher said:

That big red question mark at the end of the Ulysses-length "clues for you" bothers me too, @SomeTameGazelle.  Between that and the trophy, I hope they don't try to make that a big new symbol for the show

It's not only the colour that annoys me -- it's the typeface. I am certainly used to the Jeopardy! logo with the exclamation point, but the exclamation point is narrow enough that it doesn't cause a problem. The top-heavy lettering doesn't ordinarily bother me. But there is something about that question mark I find very alienating and making it red makes it worse.