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What is...In the Media?

Sharpie66

By Sharpie66
in Jeopardy!

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ABay
ABay

Fuck cancer. As much as I enjoy ragging on Trebek, this is really upsetting. The guy's in my living room 5 nights a week, and has been for years.

shapeshifter
shapeshifter

And now for our comedic break, a tweet from actor extraordinaire Michael McKean  

Bastet
Bastet

Wow, what a transformative experience for her, even beyond the financial security: And this brought a happy tear to my eye:  

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shapeshifter

shapeshifter

(edited)
On 5/3/2023 at 10:57 PM, theartandsound said:

Fantastic article about a JEOPARDY! champion whose run was almost erased from history...
https://www.theringer.com/tv/2023/5/2/23705821/jeopardy-lost-tapes-barbara-lowe-mystery-champion

This is definitely an update, including:

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“We’ve seen a lot more expressive contestants more recently, people who aren’t as afraid to be a little bit more bubbly in front of the camera. I think that there may have been a hint of sexism involved in terms of how the viewers or potentially even Harry Eisenberg reacted.” —Andy Saunders

As myself a woman divorced 30 years ago who still uses various combinations of my ex-husband’s last name and my father’s last name, the apparently previously bogus claims about her using false identities to appear on too many game shows seems based entirely on sexism, used as a means to prevent an awkward — and perhaps sometimes obstreperous — contestant from reappearing.

Regarding:

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“Barbara cries and Alex very hastily says, ‘I’m going to sign off; I need to hug this woman.’ And he just puts the microphone down.”

I don’t think it will ever be possible to resolve the contrast between this on-air display of concern and compassion by Alex for Barbara, as opposed to her claims that Alex was rude to her.

Maybe he was both.

Edited by shapeshifter
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SomeTameGazelle

SomeTameGazelle

On 5/6/2023 at 9:32 AM, shapeshifter said:

As myself a woman divorced 30 years ago who still uses various combinations of my ex-husband’s last name and my father’s last name, the apparently previously bogus claims about her using false identities to appear on too many game shows seems based entirely on sexism, used as a means to prevent an awkward — and perhaps sometimes obstreperous — contestant from reappearing.

I don't think McNear is confident that it is entirely bogus, as she admits that it is possible that she simply couldn't locate any records for long-cancelled shows. Jeopardy confirmed that Lowe had disclosed 3 appearances, one under her maiden name Marquez. Lowe in her recent interview with McNear recalled 2 of the 3 and then said that she couldn't remember all of the others, she might have used different names (she had 3: maiden name, married name, and pseudonym) but she definitely didn't use different SSNs.

Since Wheel of Fortune was one of her appearances, I would have liked to know whether Wheel had anything in their archives about what Barbara Lowe disclosed at that time. I know that since her Wheel appearance was in 1976 it wouldn't reveal any appearances within the 5-year window for 1986 on Jeopardy. However if the Jeopardy application asked for all gameshow appearances regardless of when, and she failed to include even older appearances, that could still be justification for disqualifying her.

Eisenberg gets some facts wrong but another thing I would have liked McNear to follow up on is that apparently his book claims it was Bob Boden who recognized Barbara Lowe and advised production that she had other appearances under other names. If McNear had contacted Boden perhaps he could have confirmed whether there was anything in the accusation.

Lowe is the only source that claims the dispute was due to her emergency bathroom break (and not other appearances at all). I was disappointed that there was no comment from any of the other contestants from that taping day or the friends and family who might have been in the audience who could confirm whether taping stopped and whether Alex or other production staff were visibly hostile about it. And the fact that apparently the same thing happened to her on Who Wants to be a Millionaire in 2003 makes me less inclined to believe her version of events without any other evidence. At the very least it makes me think that memories of one experience could have bled into memories of the other.

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possibilities

possibilities

If you have a bowel condition, it's likely to happen more than one time, though, so it's just as likely that the Millionaire incident supports her recollection than that it doesn't.

But it still would have been a good idea to have more follow up on the trails you mention. 

It's a long time ago, though, so any of the participants might have inaccurate memories after all this time. It's hard to know who to believe, especially since there aren't apparently any documents to refer to as to the reasons? You'd think that these decisions would be made in writing, not just informally. But it also might be that the people with the documents aren't making them available. 

Sinc eshe hired a lawyer, SOMEBODY had SOMETHING in writing, though, for sure, about at least SOME of the events.

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SomeTameGazelle

SomeTameGazelle

2 hours ago, possibilities said:

If you have a bowel condition, it's likely to happen more than one time, though, so it's just as likely that the Millionaire incident supports her recollection than that it doesn't.

I didn't mean to say that I thought she had had the bathroom break on WWTBAM and was therefore misremembering having one on Jeopardy as well. I thought perhaps if she had the same issue on both shows she might be confusing which producer said what when. I was surprised that she didn't comment on whether she had chronic IBS or something in the McNear article but there was a link to the blog entry about her WWTBAM appearance where she mentions having dietary issues so that is probably related.

https://www.angelfire.com/tx5/imander/gameshows/barbreport.html

I have to admit that the blog entry gives me the impression that Lowe is an emotional person who might be very sensitive to any possible hint of negativity and possibly blow it out of proportion. 

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shapeshifter

shapeshifter

“Week 1 of WGA Strike — ‘Jeopardy!’ Writers Answer Questions: ‘Without Us It’s Just an Empty Blue Screen’” (variety.com/2023/tv/news/wga-writers-speak-out-studios-execs-picket-line-1235601261).
Only these few paragraphs in the first of over a dozen sections of the article mention Jeopardy! 

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“Jeopardy” writers Michele Loud, Jim Rhine and Billy Wisse walked on Madison Avenue near Washington Boulevard, in front of the studio gates where they three have all worked for more than two decades. Their jobs have been unusually consistent on a Monday-Friday strip that has transcended from TV quiz show to become a bona fide national institution.

“Our words are on the screen every night,” Loud told Variety. “There is no ‘Jeopardy’ without writers. Without us it’s just an empty blue screen.”

Wisse’s view is that the strike is part of a larger fight for the matter of being “fairly compensated for the labor you give,” he said.

The trio were quick to emphasize their good fortune to be employed for so long by a stable, year-round show. But they see the bigger threat posed by the structural changes afoot in the television business. 

“They’re asking some people to work day-to-day,” Rhine said, noting that he’s heard chapter and verse in recent days from fellow WGA members about mini room experiences. “They never tried to make it a gig economy before,” Wisse said. “There was always some sense that writers were partners in it.”

https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/wga-writers-speak-out-studios-execs-picket-line-1235601261/

 

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Bastet

Bastet

I don't like Wheel of Fortune, but a celebrity edition with Mayim and Ken (and Vanna White) aired after tonight's J! Masters episode, so I watched -- Mayim won the first half and Ken the second (Vanna was basically a non-entity) and, while neither one got whatever their final puzzle is called (I got hers, but not his), they both won a similarly nice chunk of change for their charities.  Their interaction was fun; one of the puzzles Ken solved, without very many letters up, was "Final Jeopardy" and her reaction was entertaining.

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possibilities

possibilities

I thought it was interesting that when Pat Sajak asked Mayim how she liked hosting Jeopardy, she said "it's a very different skillset" than her other jobs. It was like she couldn't even say something bland but favorable like "I love it" or something thoughtful like "I've been growing into the job, it's been wonderful but a steep  learning curve". I thought she actually grimaced. 

Meanwhile, when Ken was asked, he said he was terrified for a long time, and unlike Mayim, he has no experience with stage presence, so it was really tough at first. 

They were playing for charity. Ken's money will go to Equal Justice Initiative and Mayim's will go to Mental Wealth Alliance. 

EJI: https://eji.org/about/

MWA: https://mentalwealthalliance.org/

(Vanna played for St Jude's cancer center)

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Bastet

Bastet

3 hours ago, dcalley said:

However, we understand that production on the final run of episodes for the season is going ahead with Ken Jennings taking over hosting duties.

I was appalled by this until I realized the scripts were already written, so it's not like he's hosting shows written by scabs.  I still prefer her decision, but at least there seems to have been some reasoning behind his.  If the WGA objects, I will not watch, though.

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shapeshifter

shapeshifter

2 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

And there was jubilation throughout the land.

I probably shouldn’t laugh, 😹 but, well…

Mayim has become my television sister. 
(My real life sister and I have a fraught relationship, but we are still sisters. Distant sisters.)

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blueray

blueray

I'm okay with this. If she wants to support the writers good for her. As for Ken, he's not in any guild as he's not an actor or a writer. All the clues are already written, he's just hosting. So he's not crossing any picket lines.

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30 Helens

30 Helens

I am very conflicted about this.

On the plus side:
1. Ken is coming back! Yay!
2. He’s being a good soldier for Production, which should give him an edge if they decide to choose a single host, and
3. He’s not really crossing a line, in the strictest sense, since the shows have already been written, and
4. He’s finishing the season! Yay!

On the other hand:
1. The timing of when these shows were written is a technicality, and the fact is, writers are on strike now. So now is the time to support them, if you believe in their cause.
2. Mayim chose to support the writers and Ken did not. So as much as I hate to say it, Mayim holds the higher ground. She has my respect.

I will be happy to see Ken finish out the season, but I will hate myself a little for it. The halo is, if not outright tarnished, at least a little smudged.

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MrAtoz

MrAtoz

56 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Could Ken have had the blessing of the Jeopardy! writers to do the show? 

It's possible, I suppose. But given the way strikes typically work, it seems unlikely. The goal of a strike is to make things inconvenient for the company, not to make it easier for them to continue business as usual.

Is Ken still credited as a producer? If so, he is technically one of the people the writers are striking against.

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chessiegal

chessiegal

19 minutes ago, MrAtoz said:
1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

Could Ken have had the blessing of the Jeopardy! writers to do the show? 

It's possible, I suppose. But given the way strikes typically work, it seems unlikely. The goal of a strike is to make things inconvenient for the company, not to make it easier for them to continue business as usual.

Is Ken still credited as a producer? If so, he is technically one of the people the writers are striking against.

Just checked last night's game. Ken is not credited as a producer.

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proserpina65

proserpina65

(edited)

I have no problem with Mayim choosing to support the striking writers this way.  I also have no problem with any show already in production continuing to film as long as they can, provided all the writing is done. Shows employ a lot of people in many different roles who depend on their paychecks. The situation is complicated  and I hope it's resolved soon for the benefit of everyone who is employed in the industry. 

Edited by proserpina65
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Prevailing Wind

Prevailing Wind

I recall reading an interview with Carrie Fisher who said she gave up her "script doctor" gig because the producers (aka money-grubbing scum, according to Letterman) didn't want to pay for it any more. They'd offer the doctoring job to newbies eager to get a writing credit and would do it on spec.

Wouldn't Ken need to belong to AFTRA?  ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Federation_of_Television_and_Radio_Artists )

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shapeshifter

shapeshifter

(edited)

As seen in the series finale of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel :

Spoiler

In the series finale of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel that just dropped, near the end of the episode there's a clip of a Jeopardy! show from (presumably) 2005. 

 

1 hour ago, ProudMary said:

Hey everyone, as the series finale of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel  just dropped today and many of us 🙋‍♀️ have not yet watched it, could you either spoiler tag comments and links or wait a few days to discuss? Thanks.

 

51 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

And please folks, if you’re posting something behind spoiler tags, can you let us know what it’s a spoiler for. Otherwise I never know when/if I should read it. 

 

Edited by shapeshifter
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ProudMary

ProudMary

Hey everyone, as the series finale of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel  just dropped today and many of us 🙋‍♀️ have not yet watched it, could you either spoiler tag comments and links or wait a few days to discuss? Thanks.

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SoMuchTV

SoMuchTV

43 minutes ago, ProudMary said:

Hey everyone, as the series finale of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel  just dropped today and many of us 🙋‍♀️ have not yet watched it, could you either spoiler tag comments and links or wait a few days to discuss? Thanks.

I’ve seen the the finale and what’s been posted so far isn’t really what I’d consider a spoiler (maybe don’t click on the link yet though) but I agree, anything beyond that should definitely be spoiler tagged. 

And please folks, if you’re posting something behind spoiler tags, can you let us know what it’s a spoiler for. Otherwise I never know when/if I should read it. 

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30 Helens

30 Helens

Really good interview with Ken Jennings in the New Yorker:

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/ken-jennings-has-some-questions-about-death
 

Much of it is about his new book, a traveler’s guide to heaven and hell derived from depictions in religion, literature and pop culture, which sounds like a good read. But they also touch on Jeopardy and his hosting duties. Spoiler alert— he hates the contestant interview segment! (Or at least finds it very awkward.) He also makes the calls (without waiting for the judges) with a focus on maintaining the pace and keeping everyone comfortable. 
 

Quote

And really the way to do it, it turns out, is just to play the game as if you were a contestant. I’m kind of playing along in my head, like, Oh, I know this one! Let’s see if they know it. Hey, they do, great! We did it! We get to go again! And I don’t know if that’s the right—it’s definitely not Alex’s energy, but nobody can do what he did.

 

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shapeshifter

shapeshifter

44 minutes ago, 30 Helens said:

Really good interview with Ken Jennings in the New Yorker:

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/ken-jennings-has-some-questions-about-death
 

Much of it is about his new book, a traveler’s guide to heaven and hell derived from depictions in religion, literature and pop culture, which sounds like a good read. But they also touch on Jeopardy and his hosting duties. Spoiler alert— he hates the contestant interview segment! (Or at least finds it very awkward.) He also makes the calls (without waiting for the judges) with a focus on maintaining the pace and keeping everyone comfortable. 
 

Quote

And really the way to do it, it turns out, is just to play the game as if you were a contestant. I’m kind of playing along in my head, like, Oh, I know this one! Let’s see if they know it. Hey, they do, great! We did it! We get to go again! And I don’t know if that’s the right—it’s definitely not Alex’s energy, but nobody can do what he did.

 

Thanks for this, @30 Helens! 
This made me LOL:

Quote

[Interviewer Sarah Larson] Is there a particular vision of Heaven or Hell that sparked your excitement to do the book? When did you first start thinking about it?

[Ken] It’s got the most prosaic origin story possible. I was in an airport, and they had one of those ubiquitous “five hundred places to see before you die” books, but I was looking at it upside down, so I thought it said “500 Places to Die Before You See.” And I was, like, Wow, now that’s a funny book! 

And just in case there was any doubt that Ken supports and respects the writers, this quote from the New Yorker article more than settles it:

Quote

So now we’re just hoping against hope that the studios do the right thing and make them a fair deal. Because the writers are the engine that runs “Jeopardy!” More than the contestants, more than the host, it’s a show about the words. And it maybe has more words in every half hour than any other kind of show. Sixty-one of those very dense, tightly, carefully written, doubly researched clues. It’s almost like each one is a little haiku or a villanelle, engineered to try to get the player to exactly the right degree of difficulty and proximity.

 

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HyeChaps

HyeChaps

(edited)

I want to say how much I enjoy Buzzy’s podcast This is Jeopardy! It is so interesting and entertaining!  This past week’s focused on Ken’s “roadkill”—all those players vanquished by Ken. 

Edited by HyeChaps
Typo
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seacliffsal

seacliffsal

I don't know if this is the right place to put this, but my t.v. guide included "Just Call Me Kat" in its 'cancelled' listings.  I personally hope this doesn't mean that Mayim is available for more episodes...

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TakomaSnark

TakomaSnark

11 minutes ago, seacliffsal said:

I don't know if this is the right place to put this, but my t.v. guide included "Just Call Me Kat" in its 'cancelled' listings.  I personally hope this doesn't mean that Mayim is available for more episodes...

CMK is cancelled, yes. The show has given zero indictation that they are getting rid of her, so IMO it is time for everyone to move forward from this debate. Mayim is the co-host of Jeopardy!

I don't care for Ken but I don't post about it.

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shapeshifter

shapeshifter

15 minutes ago, seacliffsal said:

I don't know if this is the right place to put this, but my t.v. guide included "Just Call Me Kat" in its 'cancelled' listings.  I personally hope this doesn't mean that Mayim is available for more episodes...

Unless things have changed since this interview from April (before the Writers Strike officially began), I doubt Mayim will want to devote more time to Jeopardy! than she is currently: https://ew.com/tv/mayim-bialik-says-full-blossom-cast-would-return-for-reboot/

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Bastet

Bastet

I'm going to mention a couple of the responses, so don't keep reading until you've taken the quiz (if you're going to).

 

I enjoyed that, too, but I don't think the Oppenheimer or Annie Oakley clues belonged on the list.

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SoMuchTV

SoMuchTV

(edited)
14 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/jeopardy-champion-reveals-shows-problem-145646892.html

Hmm, not sure if I should put any more stock in that than in the typical clickbait article. Especially after this:

Quote

In an episode earlier this week, the Final Jeopardy category was "World of Water," with the clue reading: "The Bass Strait divides Tasmania & mainland Australia & hydrographers have disputed which of these 2 larger bodies it's [sic] part of."

Either someone doesn’t know what [sic] means, or they don’t know that it’s = it is. 

Edited by SoMuchTV
Added quote box. Am I missing something that I can't do it from my phone?
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SoMuchTV

SoMuchTV

5 hours ago, Prevailing Wind said:

It could be both.

Haha,  now I'm picturing the author of that article saying... well, when people quote my articles, the quote always reads "it's [sic]" so that must be the way to write it!

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